


Gradual Improvement II - The Ties That Bind

by starkind



Series: The Gina & Brix Chronicles [2]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), DC Cinematic Universe, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Canon Divergence - Iron Man 3, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, M/M, Rare Pairings, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 14:42:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkind/pseuds/starkind
Summary: Pepper and Bruce have tied the knot and are working on establishing their own little family. What will happen to promises made in the face of change and danger?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After getting massively sidetracked by my BatWidow fic, I'm finally returning to my first rare-pair guilty pleasure! Gina and Brix have been united at the end of part I - how do they fare with the events of IM3, AoU, and Civil War looming up on the horizon?

They spent the first week at the 7-acre water garden Island in the Maldives mostly sleeping off their fatigue. The island accommodated no one but them and a small crew including a butler, chef, and spa therapist. The second week saw them not leaving the king-size bed either, but for another reason entirely. Towards the end of the third week, Pepper and Bruce began to explore the tranquil life outside their luxury bungalow.

She enjoyed massages on the beach while he went on diving the local reefs, wrecks, and drifts with a professional instructor. After being thoroughly pampered, Pepper was back in their suite, busy setting up the wifi password. She barely registered her husband enter, nor his appreciative gaze that wandered along her form hidden by the sheets. Soon, his solid and equally undressed body was spooning hers.

“What's a gorgeous lady like you doing here all alone?”  
His skin was still cool from his swim. Pepper grinned.  
“My my, Mister Wayne is digging out the awful pickup lines.”

He huffed against her shoulder before his lips pressed a kiss upon it.  
“I can do better.”  
Still typing on her phone, Pepper craned her head to glimpse at him.

“Now I'm curious.”  
  
Bruce put up a deliberately smoldering expression, causing his wife to bite her lip with barely contained laughter. “Your eyes are blue, like the ocean. And baby, I’m lost at sea.” It took less than three seconds for her to burst into a giggle fit and bury her head in the pillow. “Are you even real?” With an arched eyebrow, Bruce took her question as an invitation to scoot closer yet again. “I let you be the judge.”

Pepper sniffled and tilted the phone sideways to be able to read in her position.  
“How was your diving lesson?”  
She felt him smirk against her neck as his fingers brushed the sheets away.  
  
“Uneventful.”

“You meant to say peaceful.”  
A little whimper escaped her lips as he ran his cool fingers over her body.  
“I like to discover things. Hidden treasures. There were none, sadly.”

When they found her center, Pepper gave a soft, albeit chiding, purr.

“Brix.”

“Mhm?”

“I'm trying to get access to my inbox.”

“Go ahead.”

He did not stop his ministrations and instead moved over to suckle on her neck. Pepper let out a small moan and shifted her legs apart just enough to feel his arousal in between her thighs. “You know you are...” When he slid into her almost effortlessly, she dropped the StarkPhone onto the floor. “... insatiable. I'll be too sore to go stand up paddling later on.”

Bruce began to set up a slow, sensuous rhythm, all the while kissing the side of her neck. He was growing out his beard, now that he could, and the soft stubble only added to the overall sensation. “There's still tomorrow. Or you go next week. We've got another five days.” His hand roamed up higher to massage her breasts. Pepper tilted her head back against his chest and reached out to knead his hip.

“I don't see you stopping this anytime soon.” Bruce grinned into her skin. “Just tell me to stop, I'll stop.” It was her hand which then stopped his thrusting movements. With a look at the perplexed expression on his face, Pepper turned around and forced him on his back. Her fingernails lightly skimmed over his taut abdomen, causing the muscles to twitch on their own accord. “Two can play this game, Mister.”

He let out a throaty chuckle. “Competitive, Mrs. Wayne?” Pepper smirked. “Very.” She drew a trail of kisses from his pelvis to his chest. He slid his arm around her as she snuggled against his body and took him all in. Bruce scooted up higher against the headboard and started kissing her breasts while his hands cupped her backside. She rode him in her own pace until she came with a shudder and a moan several minutes later.

It was then that Bruce rolled them over, still united, and let her panting words of encouragement drive him over the edge soon after as well. Once they laid side by side and shared a bottle of water, Pepper fished for her abandoned mobile phone again. “I shall make use of the next ten minutes during which you are recovering.” Bruce harrumphed. “I'm insulted.” She glimpsed at his serene, if slightly flushed face. “And why is that?”

His eyes were closed, but he smirked.  
“I'll show you in five.”  
The affectionate pinch she gave to his side was met with a small grunt and the barest of twitches.

_'1 new message.'_

Pepper pulled the covers into her lap and put the phone to her ear. Next to her, Bruce's hand began to trace idle patterns onto her collarbone. She smiled and pressed a kiss to the closed upper arm of his in return just when the voice mail sprang to life.

_'Pepper?! This is Steve! I - something has happened. It's Tony...”_

Seconds later, she was sitting ramrod straight in bed, waiting for Steve to pick up the phone. He did so even before the second ring and immediately started to talk. “Pepper, listen. There was an attack on the mansion. Tony and I were together when they sent armed helicopters to bomb the whole estate, and...” An icy feeling spread out from her chest to her body, leaving her to shiver despite the tropical temperatures.

“Where is he?”   
  
Steve inhaled audibly. “They are proclaiming him to be dead, Pepper, and I wanted you to hear it from me first, because I know for a fact that he's not.” She closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them, there was resolve. “Okay. I'm coming home, Steve, as fast as I can.” Hesitation on the other end. “No, I didn't want to - I mean... your honeymoon...” She slammed her free hand onto the mattress.

“Tony is missing! Of course I'm coming home! Where are you? The mansion?”

“The mansion is gone, Pepper – it's been swiped off the cliff completely. I'm here in LA with Rhodes.” She held up a hand to cover her mouth and suppress the gasp of horror. Bruce kept on watching her with steadfast eyes and an unreadable expression until the call ended and left her to stare at the phone in her hand. “Gina?” He made no move to invade her space until she leaned into him with a devastated sob.  
  
“Tony is missing. There was a terrorist attack on his mansion. Oh God, Bruce...”  
He held her tight as she trembled. His free hand reached for his own phone on the nightstand.  
“I'll tell the hotel to prepare everything for our departure.”  
  
Despite their long-range Gulfstream jet, it still took them around 18 hours until they were back in LA.

 


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they returned to the States, Steve had word from Tony. He was indeed alive, relatively unharmed considering all circumstances, and about to make his way from Tennessee to Miami. Rogers and Rhodes were already on their way to Florida to team up with him, and it took all of Bruce's persuasion to keep Pepper from wanting to follow them.

In the end, she and Bruce witnessed the end of the abstruse Mandarin terrorism stunt on the news. The instigator behind it, Aldrich Killian, was terminated with the help of Captain America, War Machine, and several dozens of Tony's suits which went out in spectacular fireworks all over the harbor area in Miami. As soon as Tony, Steve, and Rhodey arrived in New York, Pepper rushed to meet them at Stark Tower.

She flung herself at him and felt him flinch at her touch. “I leave you alone for less than a month and this happens.” Tony's eyes were dull but he attempted a smile and rubbed her upper arms in a soothing way. “That's why you and Bruce should consider moving. Forget Gotham City and go get yourselves a cozy cottage in the Hamptons or something.” She stroked his cheek. “I can't, but you know that my -our- door is always open.”

He forced another crooked smile upon his face.

“Yeah, gotcha.”

+

Something changed in Tony and Steve's relationship after that Mandarin incident. When the anniversary of Howard and Maria's death rolled around at the end of December, their only son went and locked himself down in his father's old study at the Stark townhouse to drink and reminisce like he did every year. Steve tried to be there for him, toyed with the idea of calling Pepper again, but decided against it in the end.

Eventually, he sat outside the posh apartment block and waited. His mind and soul were warring with his head to go and tell his lover about the dark secret that the Winter Soldier had brought back. There and then, however, Steve Rogers remained silent. He was there for his boyfriend when Tony Stark staggered down the stairs one day later, eyes behind dark shades. “Shouldn't have bothered. Fuckin' cold New Yorker winter air.”

Steve reached out with one hand, hesitant, but Tony took it. His hands were icy. “I do not mind.” Their fingers remained intertwined all the way from the backseat of the limousine to up at the Tower. There, Tony went straight to bed. The next morning, he was back to being his old, cheeky self again. That night, over filet mignon for two and with no one else around, Tony made a bold announcement.

“I'm gonna go have surgery. Get the splinters removed. Stop living with a build-in nightlight once and for all.”

He tapped his chest to go with it. Aghast, Steve stopped slicing his steak and let the knife sink. “You told me just last week how much you hate that Happy's still not able to leave the hospital after the attack, and now you want to go and get yourself cut open voluntarily?” Tony reached out for his glass of wine. “That's something else entirely.” Steve bristled. “Yes, it's entirely stupid.” Brown eyes narrowed over a crystal rim.

“Well pardon me, Mister Super Soldier Serum, but I don't see you having to live with metal wired into your chest, taking up the space where the thymus and upper right atrium should be.” Steve opened his mouth, but Tony shushed him with a brusque gesture. “I've had a nuclear generator wired into my rib cage for six fucking years now. Don't tell me what to do when you haven't walked a mile in my shoes; living a chronic pain nightmare every day!”

At that, Steve threw the napkin from his lap onto the table and stood up. “Don't act like I don't care. You think I wouldn't remember how it feels to take a breath when all of your body hurts like no tomorrow? Because I do. And I wouldn't wish that condition on anybody!” For a few heartbeats, Tony regarded him, face set in stone. “Way to make this about you, Cap.” Hurt and resignation flickered in Steve's eyes.

“I'm not hungry anymore. I'll be in my room.”  
Tony watched him leave without making a move.  
After the door fell shut, he reached for his glass and downed its content in one go.

Tony then took the whole bottle of wine along, went for his private workshop high up on floor 79, and worked the night away.

+

The next morning, Steve came looking for his boyfriend to call a truce. He found him sleep-deprived, partly hungover, and still in a foul mood at the desk of his workshop. Technical schematics of new types of improved armor were strewn all over the monitors. Steve regarded them, then his boyfriend. “Can we talk about it?” His voice was gentle. It seemed to mollify Tony enough for Steve to move closer and touch him.

“That didn't go too well yesterday, now did it.” The murmur was deep and contemplative. Steve's hand got bolder and started running along Tony's nape. “I was... taken by surprise. If you want to do this, I'm by your side.” Tony sniffed out loud and started to roll his shoulders. Steve made use of his other hand and massaged the tight muscles under his skin. It had the desired effect and Tony became more pliant.

“It's not like I won't be able to use a suit without it. The reactor I mean.”

A look over his shoulder revealed a confused Captain America. It brought a first, real tender smile to Tony's lips. He twisted around until he was facing his boyfriend and slipped onto the desk, legs dangling. “They all will be working with miniature, backup ARC reactors. Banner's gonna have to help me out with the final kinks on the main interface, but this is what I lovingly came to call the Iron Legion program.”

“... Iron Legion?”

Tony grabbed a thin piece of what looked like glass and made a few gestures. In no time, a hologram was flickering in the middle of his workshop. “There we go.” At the sight of countless drones all resembling Iron Man, a shiver tried to worm its way across Steve's spine, but he willed it away. “Tony, this is the start of something bad. What if things get out of hand?” With a smooth flick of the wrist, the hologram vanished.

Stark slid off the desk in slow motion and turned away. “Why, thanks for the vote of confidence there, sweetheart.” Steve inhaled at the acid reply and watched his posture coil into something hunched. “I didn't mean it like that.” Dark eyes narrowed. “But that's what you said.”

“Tony, all I'm saying is...”

“Yeah, no, it's fine. It's okay. I'm okay.”

“Can you for once just stop pretending you’re okay and listen to me?”

At that, Tony swung around, a cross expression lingering in between his brows. “Pretending? Golly Gee, Steve, yeah, I listen to you. But maybe you should listen to yourself. I am working on a way to ensure global protection, while all you do is shoot me down, pretending to be on my side.” His eyes began to dart around, just as his breathing started to quicken. Tony swallowed and focused on the digital keyboard in front of him.

Steve's voice then got him out of a tunnel vision he did not know he had entered.  
“ _We_ are global protection, Tony. Us. The Avengers. That's more than enough.”  
“Tell people that, the next time aliens are flying and shooting through the streets of Manhattan!”

They were now standing more than an arm's length apart, with Tony raising his chin and Steve crossing his arms across his broad chest. Eventually, the blonde shook his head. “If you do this, I have to speak to Maria Hill.” Tony's eyes turned to slits. “Well. If that's how you show your gratitude. Way to go, Cap.” They glared for a few silent heartbeats at each other, until Steve's mouth became a thin, grim line.

Wordless, he turned around and headed for the door, missing out on the fact that his boyfriend spread his arms, slim device still in one hand. “Yeah, fine – go! GO! See if I care!” The door slammed shut behind Steve, and Tony glared daggers at the spot he had vacated, heart racing. “Jarvis, get my suit ready.” Tony was out and up in the air ten minutes later, inside his first, newly built armor that came to be Mark 43.

While chewing violently on a piece of gum, he pulled up a virtual contact list. The number he wanted to call was in flight mode, but he was able to surpass it with Jarvis' help. Soon, the person he wanted to speak to picked up her phone.

“Pep? Hey, you in Gotham? Ah, okay. You did? No, I didn't, I just called and... uh-huh. Meeting. I see. Well, I am in town, and wanted... sure. Sure, yeah. I'll go and wait at... no, there's that butler, and he is kinda scary I don't even know, and... when you guys are not around – guess I'll wait at Wayne Tower. Hey, is Bruce in by any chance? Swell. Later, babe.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Iron Man touched down upon the rooftop of Wayne Tower twenty minutes later. He flustered a lot of unsuspecting employees, security guards, and several GCPD officers until Tony Stark stood within a large office on the top floors, dressed in a hoodie jacket, t-shirt, and denims from the night before. Bruce Wayne neither commented on his rumpled attire, nor on the bloodshot eyes of his surprise guest.

“Good thing Gina informed me of your visit.” He had cleared Stark as soon as he got a text from his wife, and decided to humor the other man and his eccentricities. Tony shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I was in town and thought to myself – go and seek out my not-quite-brother-in-law. Bond a little, from one billionaire to the other, you know?” A wry smirk hovered on the edges of Bruce Wayne's thin mouth.

“That's what you thought?” He stood up to fetch a second cup of coffee from his personal bar. “Something along those lines, don't quote me on it.” Tony meandered through the office, looking at whatever piece of art there was. “By the way, SHIELD still wants to interrogate you because of the pit. I keep telling them you're going to file a lawsuit and bust out an injunction if they don't stop nagging but they are a persistent bunch.”

Unbeknownst to him, two hazel eyes narrowed for a split second. “How did they get to know about it in the first place? From what I've came to learn, everything about my stay was under the radar back then.” At that, Tony turned around and came back to drop into the seat opposite of Bruce's desk. He accepted a china cup with a grim smirk and blew a little at the billowing steam.

“I might or might not have dropped some intel after Jarvis found out about your whereabouts. Unintentionally of course. Some prisoners have told the tale about the escapee without knowing it'd cause problems. Sorry bout that.” Playing it cool, Bruce leaned back in his chair and shrugged with winsome nonchalance. “I made it by sheer luck and will, just like you did back then in Afghanistan, I guess.”

The haunted look was back on Stark's face. Tony then forced the twitching of his thighs down by leaning forward upon his elbows. “Sounds reasonable. Only you didn't go and blast your way out in a suit made of scraps.” Another thin-lipped smile flitted across Wayne's features. “No, I didn't.” Tony nodded along in understanding. He stared into the black liquid for a while, then glimpsed back up.  
  
“Oh, that reminds me – I owe ya a new transmitting antenna. I kinda... miscalculated the landing.”  
Bruce's smile became liquid saccharin.  
“Think nothing of it.”

+

When Pepper arrived at Wayne Tower two hours later, she found her husband and Tony at Bruce's office, deep in conversation. Tony had pulled up a hologram from his StarkPhone, high above the desk of a moderately impressed looking Bruce Wayne, and was showcasing some of his inventions. “What are you guys doing?” She hugged Tony who had jumped up to greet her before leaning in to kiss her husband.

“Apart from Bruce bragging about his Keurig, we're doing mighty fine. Mulling over business problems, examining opportunities, slice of life stuff. Rich dudes talking shop and all that.” Stark winked at his Gotham counterpart to which Wayne gave a noncommittal curl of the lip. “Safe to say, Tony is not familiar with the concept of humility. At least he seems to have the tech to make up for it.”

Pepper glanced from one to the other with something like contentment.

“The two of you are going to get along just fine.”

The second time Tony visited Gotham City, alone and on his own accord, Bruce had already taken precautions. Wayne Tower rooftop now sported a newly installed landing pad; too small for a helicopter, but big enough for a certain suit of armor. It delighted Stark enough to whistle all the way to the familiar office. "Good morning, B. Upgraded the roof I take it?" Bruce looked over at the area in question.  
  
"Easier then having to deal with non-functioning telephone and internet connections at times." Tony threw him a thumbs up and moved over to where Bruce pointed towards a set of coffee cups and a serving carafe. "You're probably wondering about the nature of my latest visit." A curious eyebrow rose. "Bonding with the in-laws sounded like a valid reason. Should I be concerned about your ulterior motives two visits in?"

At that, Tony laughed out. “I'm really starting to like you, B. Pepper never said much, but you're certainly not the rich airhead the media thinks you are." Wayne's expression remained steadfast. "Appreciate the honesty." Tony nodded along, busy filling his cup and bringing the carafe along to refill Bruce's. He sat down with a resounding squeak of the leather chair and propped his left ankle up on his other knee.

"So, from one honest corporate overlord to the other: How would you feel about being part of something that ensures world-wide protection?"  
  
+

Pepper knew something was different when her period was a little over a week overdue.  
She bought a test one week later and got her confirmation.  
Their honeymoon had apparently been a true success.

One rare, late Saturday morning of sleeping in, she waited until Bruce had put his arm around her and her head was resting on his chest. "You are distracted.” His voice was still sleep-laden and a little rough. She smiled against the fabric of his shirt. “How can you tell?” His fingers caressed the skin on her arm. “A pattern break, non-sequitur. A disruption in your habit.”

She raised her head just enough to peek up at him and the five o'clock shadow on his chin and cheeks. “Excuse me?” Bruce's lips stretched into a lazy smile. “Or, in crude words – you'd usually have your hand down my pants by now.” With a tsk, Pepper let the fingers of her left wander down to skip past the waistband of his boxers. Bruce hummed his consent but remained otherwise impassive at her gentle fondling.

“What's on your mind?”  
  
She twisted around, waited for him to spoon her, and took one of his large hands in between hers. Guiding it under her sleep shirt, she placed it square across her stomach and rested her own palm atop of it. “This.” Behind her, Bruce inhaled audibly, his fingers twitching on her skin. “How sure are you?” When she did not answer right away, his upper body rose until he was able to look at her profile.

“It's too early to voice it in public, but do you... I mean what would you...” Her voice faltered. Bruce took the hint and cupped her cheek. When she looked at him, openness shone back with an intensity that surprised her. “Ecstatic.” He leaned down to kiss her with fervor. “The best present you could make me.” A giant weight lifted from Pepper's shoulders. She traced her husband's jawline with an index finger.

“I also have to tell Tony he is going to become a godfather. And hopefully stop him before he morphs into the crazy rich uncle who buys everything at Macy's newborn shop and from the Sky Mall catalog alike.” In a spontaneous move, Bruce rolled over until he had her pinned to the mattress.

“Later.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Later came much too soon.

After they had taken a shower together, Bruce stood next to his wife in front of the huge dressing room mirror and fixed his tie. “I have a meeting with Commissioner Gordon at the Tower, but I should be back in two hours.” He walked past her to grab his car keys from the console. She nodded. “Give Jim my regards. I love you.” His large palms cupped her face as he kissed her again before he nodded and walked out.

Pepper looked after him with affection. She had gotten used to him being unable to repeat those words most days, except for when the two of them were in the throes of passion, or he was half-asleep late at night. His actions made her certain the feeling was mutual, even if she was the only one to vocalize it.

+

“Good morning, Mister Wayne.”  
  
Bruce looked up at the man in his trench coat who lingered in the doorway. “Commissioner. Come on in and have a seat.” He rose from his desk and stepped around the table as Gordon closed the door. "Coffee?” Even as he asked, Bruce grabbed two cups in one hand and a shiny thermos in the other. Gordon shed his jacket on a nearby chair and sat down with a nod. “Yes, please. Black, sugar.”

For a little while, only the stirring of Gordon's spoon was heard. When he was done and raised the cup to his lips, he found Bruce's composed eyes watching him over the rim of his own coffee cup. “We haven't spoken since the wedding.” Jim Gordon took a first, careful sip. “True. How was the honeymoon?” A tilt of the head. “Lovely, if it hadn't been for the shocking news of Tony Stark's sudden disappearance.”

Gordon put his cup down and leaned forward. “I've followed it in the media. They've caught the criminal organization behind it, haven't they?” Bruce gave a curt nod. “Yes.” His fingers drummed on the mahogany surface, close to the fine china. “If this was to happen in Gotham nowadays...” Two astute, veteran eyes blinked up and fixated him with a knowing glance. “... then the police is going to have it under control, Mister Wayne.”

Bruce held his gaze for a few, silent heartbeats. A meek smile then appeared on his lips, hardly visible. “You've saved my life, Commissioner, I think this more than warrants us being on a first name basis.” Jim Gordon gave a grateful incline of the head, only to adjust his thick glasses afterwards. “As much as I appreciate it, I am certainly not the only one who more than kindly advises you to stick to those suits.”

He pointed his chin at the dark charcoal suit Bruce wore. The latter's eyebrow rose. “I couldn't help but notice you still have the signal up on the roof.” Gordon's mustache twitched. “And I will keep it, for sentimental reasons. And as a warning to never endanger anyone's life again.” Bruce shook his head with something akin to testiness. “Jim, please.” His voice held a tinge of sharp reproach. Gordon mimicked him with fervor.

“No, Bruce. I've promised, both your wife and myself. There's got to be another way. There will be.”  
For a while, neither man said a word. Eventually, the billionaire's mouth morphed into a lopsided smirk.  
“Maybe there already is.”

+  
  
A trip to a Gotham-based ob-gyn of her choice two days later gave Pepper certainty. She was going into week seven and progressing normally, just like any expectant mother would be. Alfred was so kind to drive her to the early 7 AM appointment, seeing her husband had to attend a phone conference at 7:30. It turned out Bruce was still at home when they returned, moreover free, and unexpectedly sullen.

“The conference was postponed, I could've come along.”

Pepper took his chin in between her hands and kissed his lips. “There'll be lots of other, even more exciting opportunities for you in the future.” They took a seat at the table which Alfred had seen to prepare for a quick breakfast. Bruce snorted. “You're going to have to do a lot of stuff via phone conferences in the future, too. Flying 2,000 miles four times a week is not going to be on your to-do list at some point.”

He meant well, but her lips nevertheless curled in irritation. “I am pregnant, not incapacitated. And the first few months will be next to no problem.” Her husband was wise enough not to argue and went to study the newspapers Alfred had put out for him to read. Pepper started to prepare a toast and some coffee with milk and let him scan the most important headlines before she cleared her throat.

“The Gotham General Hospital seems like a good choice.” Bruce looked up from the business section of the Gotham Times. “For what?” She put her knife aside. “For giving birth. After their renovation, they have the most advanced technology in the whole city.” Again, Bruce said nothing for a while, but the way his eyebrows furrowed caused her to press on. “What is it?” His mouth curled. “Nothing.”

“Oh, that's what it looks like for sure.”  
Her deliberately breezy tone got him to put the paper aside with a sigh.  
“I was hoping you would consider giving birth here, at the Manor.”

Pepper's eyes widened for a second.  
“You can't be serious.”  
He bestowed a very flat expression on her.

“I was born in the Regency Room, and I think it'd be more than fitting for our child to be as well.”  
She swallowed and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Pepper then looked back up.  
“With all due respect, I don't feel comfortable about that idea. What if something goes wrong?”

“I turned out alright.”  
The look on his face dared her to state otherwise, so Pepper bit her lip.  
“Times have changed, Brix.”

His gaze flew from her back to the discarded newspaper by his side.  
“Not as much as you'd like to think, Gina.”  
Pepper swallowed the words on her tongue and morphed her features into peaceful composure.

“I think now is not the time to argue upon this any further. First of all, there's Tony's surgery coming up.”

+

Pepper arrived early in New York on the morning of Tony's surgery. She was let into a private high-tech medical bay on the top floors of Stark Tower, allowed to see him one last time all to herself. Tony sat up in his bed, wearing a blue hospital gown and several small tubes in his nose and arm, and smiled at her. “Hi, baby.” Her smile lasted a few seconds, then Pepper had to cover her mouth when it became a sob.

“Oh, God.”

He pulled a face. “C'mon now. I'll be fine. I'm about to be a godfather, I'm not kicking the bucket. Promise.” His jaunty ways made her blink away the tears that threatened to fall. While she dabbed at her bottom lashes, he huffed. “And don't you dare to give the job to Steve or Rhodey!” She gave a gentle slap to his arm, only to lean in and kiss his forehead. “Just as long as you don't you dare to break your promise.”

Their gazes lingered within each other. Tony sniffled around the nasal cannula.  
  
“I love you.”  
Pepper brushed a palm against his cheek.  
“And I love you.”

A knock on the door. Outside, Steve and Rhodey stood, both wearing strained expressions and being accompanied by two doctors. They walked him down the corridor as Tony lay on the gurney, overhead lights flashing across his face. Steve was holding his lover's hand while keeping permanent eye contact. He mouthed a few words of endearment before they had to be separated by the massive double swing doors.

The little lamp on the side eventually flickered from green to red, and the three of them were left to wait.

In the end, after a grueling 7½ hours of surgery, involving three different teams of specialists and surgeons, everything went well. Yet another 45 minutes later, Tony woke to the tired but relieved faces of his lover and his friends, still heavily medicated and too sleepy to hold a proper conversation. He received a lot of kisses to his forehead before he drifted back off with a satisfied expression.

 


	5. Chapter 5

After surgery, Steve was protective and caring, and Tony allowed himself to be pampered while being bound to the bed for the first week. He was scheming and drawing up blueprints on his StarkPad in week three, and back in his workshop by the end of week four. On a Friday eight weeks later, Tony felt well enough to test-fly his latest suit and to seek out his latest potential business partner.

Around 5:40 pm, he touched down at the lush scenery of the Palisades instead of Wayne Tower, because Bruce had told him he was going to spend the weekend with Pepper at his stately Manor. Alfred Pennyworth opened the main doors with a composed, dignified expression. “Good evening, Mister Stark. Please be so kind and leave your... outer suit out here in the foyer.”

With a wink and a grin, Tony left Mark XLIII next to the ancient medieval armors. He then followed the butler through a maze of halls and corridors that spoke of wealth, confidence, and grandeur until they arrived on the second floor. Bruce awaited him in a huge study room with burnished wood-paneled walls, leather-bound books, and a fireplace that roared and crackled in the background.

An arrangement of fresh hydrangeas sat on one of the sideboards, creating a sharp contrast to the war-like bits and pieces of art that were scattered throughout. “Hiya, Bboy. This crib is humonstrous! Think I wanna hold my next Halloween bashes here.” Behind him, Alfred quirked an eyebrow. Bruce acknowledged it with a quick flicker of his eyes to which the butler tilted his head. “I'll prepare some tea and coffee, Sir.”

Bruce voiced his thanks and waited until the door had closed behind Alfred. Then he rose and beckoned his guest over to a seating area with well-worn Chesterfield sofas and chairs. Tony stopped to point at some framed artwork. “Real or fake?” Bruce followed his line of vision and regarded the battle scenes and soldiers. “If by real you mean historically related, then yes. The Wayne family's ancestors were fighters.”  
  
Stark nodded, still busy examining the oil painting. Bruce cleared his throat, to which he, too, eventually plopped down on the large couch. “So, how are you, post-surgery?” At that, Tony's body language became pliant. He leaned back, stretched an arm out over the sofa's backrest, and brushed his fingers along a pillow made from old needlepoint fabric.

“Swell. No more Tony-Glow-In-The-Dark. Number of times Steve pancaked me at night by now is beyond ridiculous. Man's supposed to have enhanced vision.” Bruce humored him with a tug of his mouth and sat down in a chair opposite of him. “Thanks for that mental image.” Tony cackled softly to himself. “You're very welcome.” His eyes roamed around some more before he focused back on Wayne.

“Okay now, B - confession time. What's it gonna be? You've got the power, the resources, and the mindset to be able to put them to good use. And my Iron Legion project is exactly that. Of good use.” The Gothamite was about to answer when a soft knock on the door indicated the return of the butler. To the soft clinking of fine chinaware, Alfred set a silver tablet on the coffee table between them.

“I shall let Mrs. Wayne know about your whereabouts.”  
Bruce inclined his head and made an inviting gesture at Tony to help himself.  
“Yes, thank you, Alfred. Please tell Gina I'll be there in time for dinner.”  
  
Soon, they were alone again.

“Wow. So weird.”

Tony leaned forward to snatch a biscuit from the plate. Bruce frowned. “What is?” He watched him devour the biscuit in one go. “Calling her Mrs. Wayne and Gina and stuff. To me, she's Pepper.” Bruce got himself a cup of tea while Tony raided the coffee pot and another cookie. “Fair enough.” Brushing some crumbs off his fingertips, Tony scooted to the rim of the couch and put his elbows on his thighs.

“Back to the gist of the matter before your wife gets mad that I'm keeping ya from wine&dine. I want you to be a part of the Iron Legion. The how and how much is up to you, of course, but I am thinking... tech.” Wayne gave a solemn nod. “I'll speak to Lucius Fox on Monday. We can have a written agreement by Wednesday.” Stark bobbed his head along with a rather pleased expression.

“Sure. Let your legal lackeys talk to my legal lackeys and come visit me in New York. You need to visit my workshop, and I'll have the great opportunity to have two Bruces in one room.” At the raised eyebrow and the question that swung within, Tony shrugged. “Doc Banner. Loves the color green, but also loves anything science-y.” Wayne raised his hands with a rather contrite expression.

“I have to decline, but I'll gladly hook you up with my tech-savvy CEO Fox.” A pout. “Thought you'd be down for a little science jam with us.” Bruce Wayne gave an apologetic shrug. “I'm not going to be of any help to you both. Still, this joint venture is going to be groundbreaking, no matter what. All we have to ensure is that it will send the right message, because people will be suspicious. Afraid, even.”

After he had finished his coffee, Tony stood up and meandered through the vast library over to the window front. “See, I'm standing for something in this world, and that is protection. Even if I came to realize I, sadly, cannot do it alone.” Tony clasped both hands behind his back and bounced back and forth on his toes. “It's a confused world of rapidly changing values, B. What it needs are people of good moral character.”

A glance at his Gotham counterpart. Bruce nodded with care. “While I give you that, just how do you plan on justifying the idea of creating a mass-surveillance instrument like the Iron Legion?” A muscle in Tony's jaw twitched. “So tell me, honestly - how do _you_ plan on protecting your wife and unborn child in violent times like these? Hm? Bruce?” To distract himself, Tony glimpsed at his watch.

“Ah, will you look at that. Almost dinner time, I really should be going.” As expected, Wayne did not invite him to stay. Stark was almost at the door when he turned back around to point at the war-like artwork. “Your ancestors were fighters, B. Maybe it's time for you to rise and make a stand as well.” After Tony had left, Bruce remained sitting at the desk of Thomas Wayne's personal library and stared out of the window.

+  
  
“Alfred – have you seen Bruce?”

“Not since Mister Stark's leave, Madam.”  
Pepper gave a lackadaisical nod and watched the butler keep on preparing the dinner table.  
“Why don't you let me help you a little?”

Pennyworth did not stop his stride and went to distribute silver tableware.  
“Very kind of you to offer, but I believe you might be helping me more by getting enough rest, Madam.”  
She put her arms akimbo and felt her blouse stretch slightly over her breasts.  
  
“Or maybe I could be looking for a certain someone.” Before she could wander through seemingly endless rooms and corridors filled with antique mahogany furniture, the person she was looking for encountered her just as she was about to enter the east wing. He moved in to kiss her, and a whiff of cold and clammy basement air caught her nose. Pepper sniffed. “Where have you been?”

“Downstairs.”

“How... far downstairs?”  
White teeth spoke of deflection when he smiled and took her hand, leading her back to the dining room.  
“Come on, let's eat. We don't want dinner to get cold.”

“Brix.”  
It was more than his name.  
It was a warning, a rebuke; a statement of deeply buried fear.  
  
Bruce sighed with more than slight irritation. “Gina, everything is fine.” She followed him over to where he then pulled a chair for her to sit on. “You and I have very different opinions on the meaning of 'fine'.” When she was still glowering at him over the plate of tilapia filet with sauteed vegetables, he put his hand on hers. “Tony and I are going to do the joint venture for the Iron Legion project.”

Surprised delight splayed out over her features.  
“You are?”  
He nodded and raised her hand to his lips.  
  
“A family affair, if you will.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce went to get a haircut two days later. Pepper got suspicious but kept her opinion to herself. He looked good enough to eat, so she had little ground to complain. At some point, however, he also started to shave, and that was when she began to listen closely to that little nagging gut feeling of hers. Her own, tight schedule did not allow her to stay at the Manor to watch him like a hawk, however.

As soon as she had left on a jet for LA, trying to put the finishing touches to the upcoming joint venture of the century together with Stark Industries' PR and legal departments, Bruce went back down into the cave. It was the first time since Bane that he got to check on his long abandoned arsenal and gear. Everything was still intact, sealed, and put away safely as he had seen to, back in the days.

A whoosh, then the armor's Plexiglas case came out of its secret hideout under the water, dripping wet. The doors opened, Bruce caught the familiar scent of Kevlar Nomex, and he inhaled deep. He sat in front of a bank of monitors and screens in the cave for hours, way after his wife had turned in for the night. After many months he no longer felt like a lost soul, but zealous and rejuvenated instead.

When Pepper appeared in the elevator of the cave, arms crossed in front of her nightgown, Bruce only stared back.

She did not say a word upon seeing him there, dressed in his suit and cowl, with the mask removed, and only pressed a button to which the elevator doors closed again, taking her back upstairs. With a curse on his lips Bruce discarded his armor and went after her. He found her in the living room, bare feet tucked under her legs on the sofa while staring ahead at the dying embers inside the fireplace.

“Not even a year and you already got seconds thoughts about hanging up the cowl? Really, Brix?”  
He cleared his throat at her monotonous voice and slid onto the far edge of the couch, next to her feet.  
“I also got Wayne Enterprises into financially and technically supporting Tony's Iron Legion project.”

When he reached out to brush his hand against her cold ankles, Pepper drew away. “So that evens it out? One good thing against a breach of faith?” His jaw was set tighter than mere moments ago. “Both are good things, Gina.” It came out like a hiss. Pepper slid her legs off the couch and sat up, pointing at him. “You're not that monster, you are Bruce Wayne! The man I married, the man I love. The father of my...”  
  
He rose in a swift motion, vexation marring his previously serene features.  
“I am MORE than Bruce Wayne, okay?!”  
“Do not raise your voice at me, Brix.”

He breathed in hard and turned away to collect himself.  
“You don't understand. I am not doing this for myself!”  
She shook her head, ice cold fury blazing from her eyes to drill into his skull.

“No, _you_ don't understand! _You_ don't understand how I thought you were gone! How Jim had to fish your half-dead body out of the Gotham River! How I had to prepare to attend your funeral! _You do not understand_ you're about to risk everything again because you have got a bad case of the Mondays!” Pepper was breathing even harder than he did at that point.

Her husband exhaled and stowed his hands into the pockets of his pants. “There's no point in discussing this with you tonight.” Much to his surprise, it was her who first made a beeline for the heavy wooden door of the master living room. “You're right. Not when Bruce Wayne doesn't know himself whether he is really the man or the bat.” They were both too stubborn to see reason, and he slept in one of the guest rooms.

When Pepper decided to go back to New York the next morning, she left him a message but went alone.

+

“It's a good thing you're here. I cannot decide whether to buy the Versailles Garden Iron Crib or the Tufted Upholstered Panel Crib. Part of me loves the idea of an iron crib, though.” Tony's ecstatic joy at spending almost $ 5,000 on a sleeping place for his godchild took away some of the bad mood Pepper was in. She allowed his buoyancy to rub off on her, and spent several hours browsing online stores with him.

In the end, however, she had to put an end on his hunt for the perfect baby stroller and travel system.

“Tony, we don't need a customized version.”

“Why not, it'll be a unique Stark prototype. And it _hovers_.”

“I don't want anything with thrusters or jet-engine parts near my child!”

“... point taken.”  
  
He flipped his StarkPad shut, though not without a tinge of regret upon his features. Tony then bumped her shoulder. “You're going to stay for the party?” Pepper looked up from the tablet in her hand. “Party?” He gave an eager, almost mischievous nod. 

“Yeah, the victory party to celebrate the Avengers' recapture of Loki's scepter. It's gonna take place here at the Tower, this Friday. See, Thor is really getting on my nerves with his 'Jane this, Jane that' drivel, and I need to have my gorgeous, smart, mother-to-be CEO by my side to show him the ropes a li'l bit.” Her face showed the first traces of concern. “Tony, nobody is supposed to know about...”  
  
He waved her off with a kiss against her temple and scrambled over her legs to get off the couch.  
“Oh, that preggo part no one knows about, of course. But I already said you'd be coming, so I hope you brought your high-heels.”  
She hit him with one of the throw pillows square in the back.  
  
+

On Friday evening, the party deck of Stark Tower was a hustle and bustle of the rich and famous. Mixed with a couple of giddy Avengers in between, Pepper was glad she had stayed. Wearing a tight pair of pants, stilettos, and a flowy top, she felt ten years younger as she made rounds with Tony by her side. She got to chat up a lot of people she had not seen in a while but also enjoyed flaunting her wedding ring around.

Tony had taken up the task of feeding her nothing but mocktails without anyone noticing. He also bullied her and his boyfriend into taking far too many selfies before Steve got to confiscate his phone. When the party was in full swing, a little before midnight, she got a call on her mobile. “Hello?” Pepper put the index finger of her free hand to her other ear to filter out the bass-laden sound of 'Sexy and I Know It'.

She mouthed 'Bruce' to Tony's quizzical look and turned away to be able to speak over the ruckus.

“Brix, hi!”  
“Am I disturbing anything?”  
He sounded snide and wary.

Before she could explain, Tony had instructed Clint, Thor and Natasha to bellow a loud, unanimous “HI, BRUCIE!” into her phone before erupting in a cheer. Glaring daggers, Pepper turned around to scold the obvious culprit, but the sight of nearly the whole male fraction of the Avengers lined up and wiggling along to the lyrics left her speechless. Natasha stood aside, trying hard not laugh, and only shrugged.  
  
Bruce cleared his throat, and it brought her back to the conversation they were not having.  
“Whatever. I take it you're busy. Enjoy yourself.”  
With a click, the line went dead.

With a good portion of Tony's jacket in her fist, Pepper yanked him out of the line dance. “Thank. You.” He blinked long, innocent lashes at her. “Should've invited him over. C'mon, I'll do it. Gimme your phone.” She held the mobile out of his reach. “Forget it, you're not causing more harm.”

Part of her debated whether to send him a text, but decided against it. Knowing her husband, he would not look at his phone again, least of all respond to her message for the upcoming hours. Mood slightly ruined, Pepper finished her current ginger peach soda and slipped the glass onto the counter of the bar. A whiff of Tony's fragrance caught her nose as he manifested by her side once more.

“Hey now, don't be mopey. I'll send you a nice selfie that you can send to Bruce. Or we'll make another one, with all Avengers.” Pepper suppressed a small yawn and shook her head. “I think I'll just call it a day.” No matter how hard he tried to convince her to stay for the little after-party that was about to start in half an hour, Pepper waved everyone goodnight and kissed his cheek. “I'll see you in the morning. Enjoy.”

It was just her luck that she had already left for her quarters before all hell broke loose on the party deck. When everything started to beep and flash red alerts around her quarters, she became scared. The in-house communicators all went offline from one second to the other, so Pepper grabbed her mobile. It took several rings until Bruce answered her in a flat voice, still miffed after their previous encounter.  
  
“Yes?”

“Brix, I... there's a... a situation here...”  
At the agitation in her voice, his tone changed.  
“Gina, what's wrong?”

In the background, something like faint explosions could be heard and her heartbeat quickened.  
“I don't know, the power is off, and...”  
To the sound of her labored breathing, his voice rumbled deep into her ear.

“I’m coming, just sit tight!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's preferred 'Iron Crib':  
> http://www.poshtots.com/baby-furniture/baby-cribs/iron-cribs/versailles-garden-iron-crib-in-choice-of-finish/18/2664/3122/29662/poshproductdetail.aspx
> 
> 'Sexy and I know it' by LMFAO (2011)


	7. Chapter 7

True to his word, Bruce arrived at Stark Tower 45 minutes later. By then, the imminent threat seemed to have vanished. Left behind was a shaken-looking Tony Stark who was on the phone conducting a security sweep of the city while taking care of the gigantic mess his rogue experiment had caused. The rest of the Avengers were not around anymore, most likely getting ready for the hunt.

Still in her party outfit, Pepper was busy talking on the phone while stepping around smashed Iron Legionaries that littered the party deck. Once she spotted Bruce, she ended the call and came to meet him halfway. His astute eyes had already registered the overall destruction. “Ready?” She nodded with a composed expression and allowed him to take her hand to step over a heap of rubble.

When Stark saw them, he held up a finger for them to wait until his phone call had ended. After he pocketed his phone he came to stand next to Pepper. He and Bruce nodded at each other, but Pepper thought she saw hesitation in Tony's, and weariness in Bruce's stance. Tony ushered them into his private elevator. “Something's gone rogue with the defense squad. Better get yourselves out of here.”

High up on the helipad, Bruce assisted his wife into the backseat of the Bell 525 Relentless model. Instead of climbing in next to her, Bruce motioned for the pilot to wait and walked over to where Tony stood, phone once more glued to the ear. Wayne gestured at him to have a word, so Stark placed a hand over the receiver and leaned in to understand him over the sound of the rotor blades.  
  
“I know someone I can bring into this to help.”  
Tony's bruised face seized him up. Then he nodded with a grim smirk.  
“The more the merrier. Every hand counts.”

+

Over the comforting 'thud thud thud' of the Wayne Enterprises' helicopter, Pepper kept her eyes closed during lift-off and her hands curled around her stomach area. Next to her, a familiar presence leaned in. “Are you unwell? Do you need a doctor?” Bruce's voice was low and gruff but still ultimately worried. She peeked at him from half-lidded eyes. “I am okay. Just tired.”

A large, warm palm came to rest over her folded hands while Bruce's left arm went around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace. She leaned in willingly, glad for the comfort. His lips pressed against her temple seconds later. “Try to rest.” Even if it seemed abstruse to her to get some sleep in a flying helicopter at first, Pepper only jerked back into awareness when they touched down on solid ground.

Bruce still sat in the same spot next to her, holding her close to him while staring out into the dark with a tense expression.

“Mrs. Wayne, Mister Wayne.”

The pilot gave a goodbye salute as they stepped out of the aircraft, Bruce again lending his wife a hand down the skids. Hands entwined, they walked straight across the well-groomed lawns of Wayne Manor, over to where the main door opened to reveal a relieved looking Alfred Pennyworth. “Sir, Madam. The master bathroom is re-heated. There are fresh towels and a huge pot of camomile tea waiting for you.”

He took the bag from Bruce's hands and left. The marble tiles were warm to the touch when they entered the bathroom. They undressed in silence and absolved their cleansing procedures at a polite distance to each other. Eventually, Pepper sighed. “It's so stupid.” Bruce rinsed the shampoo from his hair and squinted at her.

“What?”

“I was at the safest building in New York, surrounded by the world's greatest superheroes, and yet...” Pepper did not see her husband's slight frown as she rubbed wet palms over her face. “And I was afraid beyond belief. Scared. Scared for...” Her hands came to rest on the small protruding belly. Bruce stepped closer to her and put his own hands atop hers. Through the running water, she blinked up at him.

“It's not even out of the woods and I am already freaking out. How am I supposed to be a good mother?” Two strong arms wrapped around her and interlinked in the small of her back, pulling her close. “You are going to be a wonderful mother.” She felt how his body began to betray him and the usual, unaffected look on his face. Pepper reached up and cupped his wet cheek. “I need you, Brix. I love you, and I don't want us to...”

Instead of an answer, he crushed his lips down to hers.

They made love underneath the rainforest shower, with Bruce holding her up against the steamy glass panels of the shower cabin. He was a strange mixture of raw need and tenderness, and it was also him who came undone first with a strangled, low growl and his head burrowed into the crook of her neck.

Still entwined, Bruce leaned in to capture her lips in a wet kiss while running a thumb down in between them and elicited a quivering orgasm out of her several minutes later. When she trusted her legs to carry her again, Pepper toweled herself dry, slipped into her sleep clothes, and joined her husband in bed.

+

From that point on, the Avengers were off to face a global challenge.

In Africa, a massive smackdown between Hulk and Tony's Hulkbuster armor caused a destruction that leveled Johannesburg's city center. It created a worldwide backlash and left the team to all but scatter in the wind. Pepper received a call from an unknown, dubious number at some point, turning out to be Tony. He told her how Barton had brought them to a safe house in the countryside, and how Thor had left for Asgard.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” He made a diffuse sound. “Nah, we got this. We're the Avengers.” She hummed. “At least Steve's with you.” A pause. “Yeah. That's kind of a good thing, eh?” Pepper frowned at the dark gardens of Wayne Manor outside her window. “What's wrong?” Tony sniffed. “We're just under a lot of pressure at the moment, I mean – ah, we don't always see eye to eye even at good times, so...”

Had Pepper been more insistent that night, she would have learned about the ways Steve and Tony clashed over how to handle things.

Their quarrels ultimately resulted in more time lost, during which Ultron headed for Seoul and uploaded himself into a synthetic-tissue body. Once Tony learned of this, he took Banner with him back to New York, while Steve and the Maximoff twins went to distract Ultron. When Black Widow's and Hawkeye's plan to retrieve the synthetic body failed and resulted in Natasha's capture, Steve and Clint joined their comrades at Stark Tower.

Amidst all the chaos, Tony then discovered that Jarvis, whom he thought lost to the violent Ultron, was still operational after hiding deep within the Internet. It was just two nights later that he also received a very peeved video call from his Gotham City counterpart. “How could all of this happen, Tony?” Bruce Wayne's disdain shone brightly back at him from the huge HD wide screens of the Tower's telepresence room.

Tony slid deeper into his chair and palmed his forehead. "After Banner and I discovered an artificial intelligence within the scepter, we wanted to use it to complete Ultron, and somehow...” Wayne's eyes narrowed to slits. “What is Ultron?”

“A global defense program.”

Bruce's jaw clenched. “What about the Iron Legion? Did you want to deceive me? Withhold this Ultron program from me?” At that, Tony jumped out of the leather chair, sending it spinning around its own axis. “No! The studies weren't complete at that point, so I didn't know it was a possibility!” Hazel eyes followed him pacing the room. “And now your possibility is out there, using our Legionaries to overthrow the free world.”

Stark stopped walking and faced his quasi-brother-in-law. “Yeah, we can't really let that happen, now can we.” He rubbed at the dark circles under his eyes until a thought made him look up. “Listen, back then you said you'd have a friend who could help...” Bruce's on-screen presence regarded him with a stern, unwavering expression, his arms crossed. Tony sighed. It reminded him a lot of Steve's body language.

“... any chance your friend's available for the next coupl'a days?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.thebillionaireshop.com/product/bell/525-relentless/


	8. Chapter 8

“I've got work to do.”  
  
Pepper looked up from the magazine in her lap. “Work?” Bruce gave a single nod and leaned into the doorway. “I'll be off to” He paused briefly. “Sokovia. Tony called.” She slid the Forbes' issue shut and slipped it onto the coffee table. “Are you going to,” She paused, looking for the right words. “Suit up?” He gave a very brief, almost shy smile. “Yes.” Pepper reached out for his hand and rose to her feet.

“I want to watch.”

It was the first time that she saw the transformation with her own eyes. Pepper shuddered when the dark knight stood before her; sleek and refined, and taller and more menacing than she could have ever imagined. Bruce now bore more resemblance to a wraith-like demon in a cape than to a human being. His eyes glinted behind the cowl and pitch black camouflage paint.

They narrowed when they noticed her visible discomfort. He made a move to reach out for her, slow and deliberate, as if to not to scare her off. Pepper's fingers ghosted over the hardened carbon plating and the barbed hooks alongside the gloves. “I never thought it'd be possible.. You are truly... him.” She tried to give him a reassured smile but succeeded only half way, swallowing deep.

His gloved hands pulled her closer with care, mindful of the small belly in between them. “Stay here, no matter what happens. For the sake of my sanity.” The low rumble held a distinctive touch of her husband's usual voice, and Pepper nodded. “I'll be fine. We'll be fine.” He nodded, but before he could turn away, she held onto his hand. “One more thing.” She then reached up and touched his lips and chin.

“Promise you'll be careful. For me. For us.”  
His eyes followed her motions down to her stomach where she held one of his black gauntlets in place.  
“I will.”

+

“We're being followed.”  
  
Clint's voice was calm and controlled. He was maneuvering the Quinjet towards Sokovia, one eye on the readouts of the radar. Tony stepped into the cockpit and glimpsed at the unknown aircraft that trailed their path. “Hold your fire, that's no bogey. I went and organized us some solid backup.” In the back of the jet, Steve's expression spoke of mistrust. Barton steered the jet with expertise and they touched down in Sokovia.

There, the Avengers eyed the giant black aircraft that whooshed past their Quinjet, headed for a solitary landing spot. Captain America came to stand next to Iron Man. “Who is that?” Tony tried to get his HUD to show him strategic intel about either the aircraft or its pilot but was surprised to find his systems unable to access the requested data. Out loud, he hummed. “A friend of a friend from Gotham.” Steve narrowed his eyes.

“That's vague. Can we trust... him? Her? It?” Together, they watched the shadows move and a silhouette coming their way. Tony forced himself to stay calm and lowered his voice. “I've been informed he can hear and talk just the way we do. Only he does not like the latter.” Steve then cleared his throat and stepped forward, out of the circle of his teammates.

“Welcome to Sokovia. Here's the plan. Banner is going to rescue Nat and get her into safety. We're going to evacuate the city as quick and as controlled as possible.” He looked into the round of eager faces and received nods from his teammates. The dark creature regarded him without movement or emotion. “I located an army of drones headed our way. ETA in less than three minutes.”

When Tony confirmed, Captain America put his team in position. Clint glared at the place the masked vigilante had been mere seconds earlier. “Lurking in the dark has been my schtick before that creep showed up. Thanks a lot, Stark.“ With a click of his tongue, Tony engaged his suit for battle. “A little competition keeps things interesting.”

+

While Steve barked orders over the comm for his team to help with the evacuation, Tony received not so stellar intel from Friday on Ultron's true plans. “Oh holy fucking shit. I just found the rest of the Vibranium.” Not commenting on his language, Captain America comm'd in. “What is going on?” His boyfriend suppressed a string of nasty curses. “Looks like it's going to be a hell of a bumpy ride.”

No sooner than Tony's discovery, the city began to tear apart, lifting a large part of its capital skyward. Things became chaotic and the Avengers were facing an army of drones. Heated discussions were led over the comms, seeing they were spread out all over the city, trying to gather up all remaining civilians. “It's gonna be impossible to evacuate all those people in two aircrafts!”

“Cap, incoming on your six!”

"Iron Man – try to find a way to get the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job: Tear these things apart.”

Tony's AI began to rattle off information. "The Vibranium core has got a magnetic field, that's what's keeping this rock together. For now.” Tony kept on eying Friday's calculations. “He's gonna crash it into the ground. The whole city.” Steve sounded like he was about to curse, but tempered it down. "And afterward? What's gonna happen?” Tony gritted his teeth and eyed the readouts on his HUD.  
  
“At this height? Global extinction.”

Thor chimed in. “I could try to hit the spire and break it.” Stark negated. “Not going to work. The anti-gravs are rigged to flip. Once you touch 'em, they'll go full reverse thrust. The city's not coming down slow any way.” Silence over the comms. Tony then voiced what dreaded conclusion there was. “We gotta blow her up to keep her from impacting the surface.”

The arrival of Nick Fury and Maria Hill in a Helicarrier, together with War Machine and other SHIELD agents was like a beacon of light.

Too busy to try and help as many Sokovians as possible into the lifeboats, none of the Avengers was able to stop Ultron from stealing the Quinjet and going on a strafing run. It was then that Clint's harsh panting echoed through the comms. “MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN! Pietro is hit.” A wailing sound that was Wanda came over the line as she sensed her brother's death. Alarmed, Iron Man tried to intervene.

“Wanda – DO NOT ABANDON POST! REPORT!”

The young woman, who had accepted the task of guarding the machine from activation by Ultron's drones, did not reply, nothing but vengeance on her mind. Tony gritted his teeth, trying to figure out how to be in two places at the same time. Then there was a rustle and a dark growl over the speakers.

“I got it covered.”  
  
At eighteen thousand feet and climbing, the thin air stung in his eyes and lungs with its biting smell. Bruce suppressed a cough and used his grapple gun to gain height to make it inside the church with its partly collapsed entrance area. Craning his head, he then saw a large batch of drones flying his way. Narrowing his eyes, the Batman reached for his utility belt.

He managed to ward off the first two dozens on his own before the comm inside his cowl beeped. “Reinforcements needed at the machine – let's not leave the Bat all the fun there.” Iron Man arrived thirty seconds later, as did the rest of his teammates. By the time the Avengers and the dark knight were circling and shielding the machine, Ultron had summoned his army of robots.

Standing back to back with the dark knight, Tony turned towards him. “You picked a shitty life-and-death battle for your first Avengers' internship. Sorry bout that.” They were engaged in a fiery battle with a swarm of drones seconds later. At some point, Ultron retreated, causing the drones to follow him. With the air getting thinner by the minute, the Batman turned towards Iron Man. “Supercharge the spire from below.”

The growl was more of a rasp. Tony barked out an equally breathless laugh.  
  
“Great minds think alike. Everyone: Go find a cozy place on stand-by.”  
  
In the end, Tony and Thor created a heat seal and overloaded the machine from both ends. Sokovia ripped into a bazillion pieces just as the Helicarrier and its lifeboats had docked off and headed to safety. As soon as Tony reappeared from the seaside and checked in with all of his teammates, he caught up with the Batman's aircraft which was speeding just above the water surface. 

“Wanda and the Hulk managed to get a hold on Ultron. Now Vision is on it. You alright?” No response. Iron Man then slightly pressed forward to be at eye level with the tinted cockpit. “This is awkward, what do I say now? Thanks? Good job? Let's go for drinks sometime?” The aircraft kept on circumnavigating the debris which was still falling from the sky. “Make sure the people of Sokovia are taken care of."

Water whirled up left and right as the mighty vessel then accelerated and roared away. Iron Man was left behind staring at it until it disappeared on the horizon. Once Tony had solid ground under his feet, he headed over to where his boyfriend had been on the first lifeboats to touch down. As soon as he spotted him, Captain America walked towards him, loosening the harness of his helmet and slipping it off in mid-stride.

“Everything okay?” Tony made a wide-spread gesture which produced an ill-sounding whirr of his armor and looked at his battle-weary lover. “Considering all facts, I guess so, yeah. Ask me again tomorrow, after a shower, a high-calorie-meal, twenty hours of solid sleep and a good hard fuck. I might re-negotiate on that overall order, tho. What about you?” Steve swallowed and ran a hand through dirty, sweated hair.

“There's something else I need.” Without warning he got down on one knee right in front of Iron Man. Tony's faceplate whooshed up to reveal a sweated, distressed, and most of all confused billionaire. “Steve, what...” Said man then reached out and grabbed one of his gauntleted hands.  
  
“Anthony Stark, will you marry me?”

+

Pepper was waiting for the return of her husband from the moment he sent her the promised message. She had been at Stark Tower in New York for the past two days, trying to do as much public damage control as possible. Around 7, she chartered a jet to take her back to Gotham and arrived at the Manor after 9. It was way past 11 pm when Alfred put a gentle hand upon the woman's shoulder.

“Master Wayne has just arrived at the premises, Madam.”

Rousing from a slight slumber she did not remember to fall into, Pepper sat up on the couch, nodded, and automatically brushed her hair back. “I'll meet him halfway.” She stepped out of the elevator into the murky cave as he came down the walkway that led from the platform of the Bat over the water. Once he saw her from afar, Bruce shed his cowl and wiped at his face.

He hastened his steps just like she did and swept her off her feet into a tight embrace. “Finally.” Pepper's voice was muffled against the rough and scorched material of his armor. Bruce smelled of soot and sweat, and his lips were chapped when the brushed against hers. “Everything's alright.” The skin under his eyes was smeared with black war paint. His wife motioned for him to put her down.

Mindful of the sharp hooks on the side of each gauntlet, she took his hand and pulled him along. “Shower, then bed. Alfred's been so kind to prepare a protein shake.” Tired but amused at her resolute ways, he followed her upstairs. Once he lay sprawled out across their king-size mattress half an hour later, Pepper reached for a small bottle on her nightstand. Bruce raised a weary head to look at its label.

“What's that?”  
She slid in between his legs and opened the bottle with a plop.  
“Horse liniment against sore muscles.”

His mouth twisted into a pout. “I am no horse.” Pepper tsked. “But you're just as stubborn. Turn around, shirt off, pants down.” At that, a lewd grin flittered across his lips. “Why didn't you say so before?” Even if he tried, the attempted innuendo in his voice could not betray his tiredness. After she had massaged most gel into his back and calves, she was able to make out soft snoring sounds.

With a sigh, Pepper capped the bottle, put it aside, and went to wash her hands. When she came back, she pulled the blanket over his bare torso, ran a hand through his washed hair, and curled up next to him. Bruce woke late the next day, far less sore than expected and with the warm, pliant body of his wife pressed up against him, one of her hands possessively slung over his hip.

 


	9. Chapter 9

After the brief reign of terror from Ultron was over, the Avengers went and established a new base. Founded by Tony Stark and run by Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Helen Cho, and Erik Selvig, it was supposed to become a home for the so-called New Avengers; who namely consisted of James Rhodes, Vision, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff.  
  
Thor, Banner, and Barton had left the team for various reasons, which left Steve and Natasha in charge to train their new, fellow teammates. Many times, Steve also tried to talk his fiancé into taking on a more active role, but Tony declined, insisting that he had his hands full with other, more pressing issues.

“The venue needs to be booked in advance. Also, I need Pepper to help me find the right wedding planner before she goes into labor... and oh, we have to plan around her giving-birth time frame, because she's gonna kill me if she has to be my matron of honor looking like a whale.”

“You're lucky neither she nor her husband just heard you.”

“She would forgive me in a heartbeat. Also, do you think we should opt for a flock of white doves or would that seem too kitschy?"

Steve palmed his forehead and sighed.

“Who knew the day would come for Tony Stark to turn into Bridezilla.”

His fiancé put up a challenging grin.

“Ah, Spangles, you ain't seen nothing yet.”  
  
+

“We are invited to a wedding.”

It was a leisure Sunday at Wayne Manor, two weeks after the events of Sokovia. Pepper Wayne entered the gym on the first floor to find her husband lifting weights. Her bright announcement cut through the vast room that was only filled with the soft clink of metal and the occasional male grunt. “Please don't let it be the boy scout and his reporter lady. They are such an odd couple, it's unbelievable.”  
  
Bruce's voice came out strained as he was just in the process of lifting a gruesome amount of plates. “No. Steve proposed to Tony.” That got him to stop his latest set and hook the bar back into its handles. He sat up to look at his wife. “No way.” She dangled the Save The Date card into his face. “All the way. Apparently, all it took was a lethal robotic killer machine for them to come to their senses.”

Wiping his fingers on his track pants, Bruce took it from her and read the few lines. He then tilted his head. “They've even factored in your pregnancy. How thoughtful.” With a mock-haughty expression, Pepper snatched the card back from his hands. “And you better believe that your daughter and I will look downright marvelous by that time.” Bruce first looked flabbergasted, then shaken. He rose to his feet.  
  
“You haven't told me you were going to get to know the gender. Is it... verified?”

She nodded with underlying smugness. “99 percent. It could still turn out a boy. One percent sometimes makes all the difference, but...” He dried off his face and neck and threw the towel back onto the bench. “I am egoistic enough to want a spitting image of you, so I'll hope for a girl.” Without warning, he then lifted her up, mischief written all over his youthful countenance when she shrieked.  
  
"Put me down. Put me down, you big oaf!"  
Bruce did not, instead leaning in to kiss the complaints from her lips as he twirled her around until she was laughing out loud along with him.  
During those moments, when he was so vibrant, so carefree, Pepper forgot the way his eyes and voice could turn anything to stone.

+

A mobile rang out loud in the middle of the night. Steve grumbled into the pillow and turned away from the source of interruption while Tony blearily fumbled around on his nightstand. “Stark.” For a while, the voice on the other end spoke. Eventually, Tony ended the call with a curt confirmation and reached out to gently shake the warm heap next to him. 

“That was the White House. We gotta head over to DC.”

With a sniffle and a deep intake of breath, Steve turned back around to face him.

“Why?”

“Sokovia. Apparently, the Secretary of the State set up the first draft of some sort of Accords. I wanna have a look at it.”

The blonde wiped a palm over his tired features.

“I am not interested in politics. My job is with the people.”

Tony sighed and pulled a face.

“Why do I have the feeling I am not going to convince you to come along even with the promise of a blowjob on the Quinjet?"

“Because you know me.”

“Right.”

Stark slung back the covers and yawned into the dark. Steve propped himself up on his elbows.

“You're really going to Washington? Now?”

With a scratch across his belly, Tony stood up and asked his AI for low lights in the back.

“Yup. One of us has to be the responsible one.”

“Are you going via suit?”

“Course.”

“And your point being what again?”

“Haha. Funny. Witticism wasn't invented in the 40s I take it.”

Steve motioned for him to lean in again, to kiss Tony's grouchy pout away.

“Don't be too long. I want to get back to you about that blowjob.”

“I'll be back before you know it.”

+  
  
At the beginning of her second trimester, things became unpleasant for Pepper. After experiencing nearly none of the common sickness during the first 13 weeks, she now came down with body aches, no appetite, headaches, and throwing up even at the sight of food. Bruce was worried but hid it behind his usual stoic mask. Feeling out of his element, he asked Alfred to provide whatever remedies were available.

Once Tony learned she was too sick to travel, he took a detour to the Manor from one of his latest visits to DC. Pepper was just rearranging the blanket around her swollen feet when he entered the salon. "What are you doing here?" He chuckled at her sinister expression. "Test flights, honeybuns. Improved thrusters and all that jazz. Somehow, I ended up in town. Isn't that convenient?"

“Save your sham and get in line between the other hovering, mother-henning billionaire.”

“I'll tell Bruce you called him a mother hen.”

“Not if you want to make it out of here alive.”

At her snarl, he sauntered closer and put his hands on each of her shoulders. “Now, now, is that a way to talk to your most beloved friend and godfather of the beautiful bundle of joy?” Pepper sighed as his fingers went into a light massage of her too tight neck and shoulder region. “Blame it on my hormones. At the moment, I just want to be done and over with... ah, that is good.”

He grinned at her rapturous sigh and kept on kneading. Pepper then cleared her throat.

"Where is Steve?"

"At home."

"I thought you said he was going to accompany you to Washington this time."

"I thought so, too."

His deadpan reply caused Pepper to frown without him noticing it.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Course.”

His tight-lipped answer made her crane her neck to glimpse up at him. “You're miffed he doesn't want to sign the Accords with you, aren't you?” Tony threw her a pointed look. “I should've never told you.” He wiggled the slim white gold band on his finger into her face. “And this here means more than a measly government paper. As long as I get Steve's signature  on our marriage certificate, everything's good.”

“Then what is it?”

He was about to answer when something interrupted their conversation.

“I didn't know you had a guest.”

They turned their heads towards the sound of the voice which came from the door. Bruce stood in the doorway, forehead crinkled in a bout of irritation upon the sight of Tony Stark massaging his wife. "Family counselor and masseur all rolled up into one, rather. S'up, B? Any news from your friend? Did he like his avenging stunt in Sokovia with us?" The Gothamite moved closer.

"I don't know. Keep in mind Gina has not been well the past few days. Any stress is bad for her and the child.”  
With that, Tony slowly removed his hands from Pepper's shoulders, giving them a final, gentle squeeze.   
“Boy, you are even crankier than she is. All I wanted to say is that Bat dude is all kinds of BAMF, and..."  
  
Two cold eyes drilled into his, causing the smile on Tony's face to lessen.  
"If you want to talk about those topics, it's best if we continue this in my office."  
Tony bent down to kiss Pepper's cheek which had turned slightly flushed by now.  
  
"Nah, stop kvetching at me. I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I'm going to see myself out.”  
As soon as he was gone, Pepper cast her husband a pointed look.  
“That was unnecessary, Brix.”  
  
He glared back at her with an unapologetic expression.

“Whatever.”

+

Steve was waiting for him at the Tower when Tony arrived from Gotham. They took their time devouring each other in the Jacuzzi before heading for bed equipped with an extra-large pizza from their favorite trattoria. “Man, you should've seen Bruce today. The way he glowered at me was downright scary.” Steve handed him another napkin. “He sure seems like a guy with a dark side.”

At that, Tony paused biting into his third slice. “Meaning what?” Steve folded the rest of his piece into his mouth. “That supposed friend of his, for instance. It appears that Wayne is involved in rather unorthodox circles for a man of his caliber.” His fiancé laughed. “So what are you implying? Bruce Wayne is leading a double life because something-something?” At his snippy words, Steve's mouth hardened.

“I never said that. That's ridiculous.” Tony nodded. “Exactly, ridiculous. Bruce is a bit of a buzzkill, sure, but he's a desk jockey, so that's to be expected. Anything else - nah.” Steve's phone then dinged, interrupting their conversation, and he leaned over to fetch it from the nightstand. Tony watched the way his brows furrowed as his face shut down in a matter of seconds, the longer he kept on staring at the display.  
  
“Babe?”  
When Steve looked up, there was raw pain etched on his features.  
“Peggy died last night.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Tony stared at his stone-faced lover.  
“Shit, I'm sorry. What...”  
Steve still did not meet his gaze.

“I've... I've got to attend the funeral. It's in London.”

“Yeah, course. When do we need to be there?”  
It was then that their eyes met.  
“You don't have to come along.”

Tony frowned at his fiancé.  
“Peggy could've easily been my godmother, course I'll come along.”  
It was then that Steve put the phone aside and his feet on the floor, about to get up.

“But she wasn't. She was my friend, and I wasn't there for her!”  
A strong hand curled around his biceps, preventing him from leaving the bed.  
“And I am your fiancé, and I am there for you!”

Two dark-brown eyes shone back at him with vigor. After a couple of seconds, Steve gave a curt nod.

+

The funeral was a tasteful event. From his place in the first row of the church, Tony watched his lover carry the coffin. Steve looked so broken, and it tore at Tony's heart. Next to him, Natasha sat, dressed in a black wrap dress, looking poised and grave. Once the delegation had passed them, she leaned in sideways to whisper into his ear. “Did you tell him we're headed for Vienna afterward?” Tony gave a slow shake of the head.  
  
“Not yet.”  
  
Romanov shot him a pensive look, but seeing the ceremony was about to start, said nothing. Steve then took his place next to his fiancé. Tony itched to take his hand but settled for resting it against the side of his thigh instead. The service lasted about 45 minutes. Upon Steve's wish, Tony and Natasha stayed behind after everybody else had left. Eventually, Stark dared to approach his brooding lover.

“Babe, we should be going. Jet's waiting.”  
  
Their hands touched. Tony then felt Steve intertwine their fingers. "I want to have a memorial site for her at home as well. People in the States need to remember Peggy.” His fiancé nodded as they walked down the aisle of the church, Natasha trailing close behind them. “We'll do that, right after we get back from Vienna.” Steve stopped walking. “What? Why?” Tony's thumb ran over the back of his hand.

“The Accords need to be ratified, babe. One signature, a little bit of talking nuts and bolts, and we're back in New York before you know it.” His voice remained low and dulcet. With a brisk move, Steve caused their hands to separate. “I don't expect you to have a big, emotional reaction to anything that doesn't concern you, but this...” Steve exhaled and looked away. When he found Tony's eyes again, Steve's features hardened.

“... you should go and do something about that trauma that left you this emotionally numb and catatonic.”

At the anger in his voice, Tony's whole posture morphed into pain-filled disbelief. “Excuse me? I came here to support you. I don't expect you to be over your loss, I just have to remind you that life goes on, no matter how hard that is. And we're the Avengers, we have to stand together in times like these!”

“Way to make this about politics, Tony.”

“This isn't just...”

Steve jabbed a finger at his face, prompting him to fall silent. “I stopped believing in governments and people in suits with agendas ever since,” Steve clenched his teeth. “Ever since Bucky's return.” At the mention of who Tony had come to learn was the Winter Soldier, his eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. “Who has been appointed an assassin and wanted fugitive by the government, if I may remind you.” They glared at each other.

“Bucky is my friend. The only friend I have left.” At that, hurt flickered all over Tony's face, even if he was quick to morph it into something akin to indifference. “Your friend's been incarcerated by the police as of last night. Not the best position for Captain America's best buddy.” Steve let the news sink in while Tony looked as if he admonished himself for letting that intel from General Ross slip.

Eventually, Rogers straightened his back and squared his broad shoulders. “You heard Peggy's words: 'Compromise where you can, but when you can't – don't. Even if the whole world is telling you to'. That's what I do. That's why I stand my ground about the Accords. I am not going to sign. Not now, not ever.” Bewildered, Tony watched him turn and walk towards the exit of the church.

“Where are you going?”

“Back home.”

“STEVE!”

No reaction. With gritted teeth, Tony glimpsed at Natasha who had witnessed their quarrel in stoic silence. They shared a look before Tony walked a few steps after the fleeting silhouette of his fiancé. “Don't do this now, Steven Grant Rogers! Do not turn your back on me!” Steve's heavy, determined footsteps echoed on tiled floors until there was only silence.

+

“I don't think it's supposed to look like that.”

Pepper Wayne stood amidst the still barren room of the future nursery, next to their master bedroom on the second floor, one hand under her belly and the other holding a construction plan. Bruce had wanted to build the nursery himself despite being able to hire someone to take care of things.

His wife had deemed it a good idea, and they kept on working on the furnishing whenever they were able to spare a few hours after work, or on the weekends. Kneeling on the floor in an old pair of jeans and a sweater stained with sawdust, the Gothamite cast a pointed look upward but kept on wielding a hammer. “These are merely recommendations. I know what I'm doing.” She thrust the paper at him, pointing at a certain picture.  
  
“It says here the crossbar goes into part E, not part F.”  
His eyes skimmed over the schematics before he grunted and focused back on the parts in his hands.  
“Since when do you speak Mandarin.”  
  
Pepper nudged his denim-clad behind with a toe.  
“Since Princeton, Mister Know-It-All.”  
Bruce gave a crooked smirk and wiped the back of a hand over his forehead.  
  
“Slipped my mind completely.”  
She repeated her tender kick.  
“Of course it did, Biān fú xiá.” [Batman]  
  
The phone on the windowsill interrupted their amicable bickering. With a ruffle of his dusty hair, Pepper let her husband continue to mangle the changing unit and went to take the call. After a few minutes, Bruce stopped working and listened more closely to the hushed conversation that was taking place. By now, Pepper had turned toward the window, her voice low and asking the same questions over and over.

He watched her take the phone from her ear in slow motion after several minutes. “What is it?” When he received no answer, Bruce rose from the floor and brushed his palms against his jeans. There was concern on his face at her suddenly ghostly pallor. “Gina, are you feeling alright?” Pepper frowned at the dark screen of her phone. “Tony and Steve, they... broke up. The... the wedding is canceled.”

Her voice was monotonous. Bruce stepped closer and touched her shoulder. “What happened?” His wife leaned in, prompting him to engulf her in an embrace. “I don't really know. They were at the funeral of Steve's friend Peggy two days ago, and somehow... things escalated.” All analytical, Bruce hummed. “Maybe they fix it.” She swallowed and tried not to breathe in the sawdust from his shirt.

“Tony said Steve doesn't want to sign the Accords. I don't understand how they let politics interfere with their personal happiness!”

Bruce Wayne glimpsed at the skeleton of a playpen in the corner as he kept on rubbing his wife's back in gentle circles. “If Rogers does not feel right about marrying a man who does not share his beliefs, it's better that way.” Pepper pushed out of his embrace and stared up at him, stunned at the indifference in his voice. “Damn, Brix, how can you be so cold? Tony is heartbroken! And that's all Steve's fault!”

He dropped his arms with a vexed tug around his mouth. “We are talking about a battle of ideals, but you are trying to compare apples and oranges here. I don't blame you for mixing up the two, especially in your current state, so let's just forget it.” At his disdainful words, Pepper stepped out of his proximity.

“Excuse you? In my current state? Just because _you_ are incapable of expressing feelings and prefer to hide them behind that cowl of yours doesn't mean that all of us should do the same! Maybe you should start practicing empathy instead of martial arts. Not everything ends in battle.” Bruce's eyes narrowed. “Nice to know what you really think about me, Gina.” She shook her head.

“That's not it. I know that you've already made up your mind about staying that creature, despite the promise you made.” His momentary silence was enough of a confirmation for her, so Pepper took the opportunity to press on. “Why, Brix? Why does a promise from you come with all kinds of asterisks and hidden terms and conditions?” He turned around to pick the hammer off the floor. His grip on the hilt tightened.

“I said I wouldn't have to choose anymore, but the circumstances were way different.” Pepper made a disparaging sound at the back of her throat. “Yes, back then you didn't have a family to think about.” He pointed the hammer in her direction. “Exactly. A family I can only protect so much as Bruce Wayne. And that's why Rogers is right about the Accords. This registration act is nothing but law enforcement, Gina.”

Pepper clenched her teeth. “Tony understood the Accords are a responsible obligation for anyone taking matters into their own hands.” He raised his chin and shook his head with a condescending expression. “This is dictatorship in its early stages.” She mimicked his stance, putting her arms akimbo. “No, Brix, this is meant to sustain freedom. Maybe your version of it is too warped to understand.”

At that, he threw the hammer into the toolbox at his feet where it landed with a metal clang. “A regime that operates under fear isn't freedom, take that as you will. As long as I live, I'll never register. To anybody.” After she had to watch him storm out of the room, the tall and dignified silhouette of Alfred Pennyworth appeared in the doorway, a silver tray with two cups and a plate in his hands.

The butler's gaze went from his protege over to the woman leaning against the windowsill. “I have brought some tea and biscuits.” She pushed herself off the sill and gratefully accepted a cup. “How much did you hear, Alfred?” A mirthless smile appeared on his weathered face as he put the tray on the sill. “Enough to know that Master Bruce is going to be out on a very long patrol through Gotham tonight.”

Pepper sighed. “Guess this wasn't the best opportunity to breach the subject.” Her lips curled as she blew across the surface of the hot water. “Why does his life still consist of so much darkness and anger? I thought I'd be able to help him turn things around and channel them into something good, but I have not. I... cannot.” Alfred cast a glance out into the darkening gardens of Wayne Manor, hands clasped behind his back.

“It is not your fault, Madam. All the sadness in Master Bruce's life has made him strive for a purpose. Until you came into his life, there has been only one thing that fueled him.” Pepper pressed her lips together as she followed his gaze. “The Batman.” The butler nodded, though not without an equally stricken expression.

 


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as Pepper learned about the bombing in Vienna via the media, she immediately contacted Tony. Much to her relief, he was unhurt, but snippy and irascible over the phone until she promised to come to New York. That seemed to mollify the billionaire. “I'll take the suit and meet you at the Tower in two hours.”

She and Bruce had not spoken about the simmering issues between them ever since, but when he learned about her plans to fly despite her physical condition, he tried to intervene. "I don't have to remind you this is beyond irresponsible." From where she zipped her purse shut, she shot him a reproaching glance. "No, you don't. Tony needs someone to be there for him now, and that one is me."

Pepper arrived at Stark Tower with the intention to ease Tony's mind and get to know the whole story behind the called-off wedding. It turned out that Tony Stark was a bottled up mixture of emotions and feelings, just waiting to burst. “I contacted Bruce the other day. Hasn't he told you?” She shook her head. They were sitting on the couch with Tony massaging her feet. His expression turned into vexation.

“Asked him to request the presence of that Bat-dude-friend of his once again. You know what he told me?” He did not notice the way Pepper was holding her breath, too caught up in his rant. “Said you are experiencing a rough time in your pregnancy, and that he cannot help me this time.” She kept on staring at a spot on the couch with great interest. “... a-and then?” Tony snorted.

“I hung up on him. Some BS that is. I mean what does the one thing have to do with the other?” Pepper jerked her feet away from his touch with a wince. Tony looked up to meet her gaze. “What?” She shifted and curled her toes. “Too much, you hurt me.” He gave an apologetic rub to her insoles. “Sorry.” At the contrite on his countenance, she was quick to put up a smile.

“Don't be so hard on him. The baby is due in a couple of weeks, and I think he's.. not adjusting too well.”

“Tell me a fuckin thing about it. At least you're gaining in family size while I...” He interrupted himself with a scornful laugh and shake of the head. Pepper reached out to put a hand on his thigh. “Can't you talk to Steve again?” Tony snorted and leaned back into the couch, running a palm over his face. “You mean while he's on the run with his criminal best buddy who allegedly planned the Vienna attack?"

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?" At a small electronic blip that filled the air, Tony fished out a sleek mobile from his pocket and glimpsed at it. "Yeah. To turn the whole thing into an even bigger clusterfuck." Pepper waited for him to continue, but Tony's eyes remained glued to the screen. At some point, they narrowed to slits, and that was when she squeezed the solid muscle under her palm to get his attention.

"Any news?"

"Unfortunately yes." The mobile disappeared into his pocket again. When he leaned forward, Tony's eyes shone with an intensity that made Pepper take her hand back. "Pep, I hate to be that person, but... can't you try to talk sense into Bruce? From the way it looks, I really could use some more backup." She exhaled and shifted on the couch, mindful of her belly. "N-no, I don't think that's possible. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"It's... more complicated than you think, Tony."

"How so?"

"Just let it be, please."

“Goddammit, can you just talk to me? Just tell me what’s bothering you and I'll help!” She avoided his glare. “I... can’t.” Tony leaned in closer. “Why not?” Pepper inhaled and brushed a hand along her bump. Part of her ached to tell him despite knowing she would never be able to break her vow. “Because the second I tell you, everything is going to come crashing down. I can’t do that to you. To us.”

He harrumphed and crossed his arms as he drew back. “Are you talking about 'us' us, or 'you and Bruce' us?” She pondered his question, only to shake her head with a dejected smile. “Please, Tony... don't do this.” His eyes first filled with hurt and anger before they turned to steel. “Great, yeah, yet another person who can't trust me!” He jumped to his feet and stormed off before she had the chance to amend her words.

The look he cast her over his shoulder and the words he spat out remained on her mind, long after he had left the Tower in an SI helicopter.

“Despite what many people think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself.”

+

By the time the battle at Leipzig Airport in Germany took place, Pepper was back in Gotham. The news of James Rhodes' grave injury caused her great distress, leading to a brief late-night visit to the OB-GYN. After having her blood taken to measure CRH levels, Bruce sat by her side, worry etched on his face, and held her hand as the doctor slathered gel on her abdomen before gliding a transducer over it.

"Naturally, the fetus is responding to the stimuli of maternal stress."  
Pepper gripped Bruce's hand a bit tighter and stared at the flickering screen across from her.  
"What does that mean?"

The doctor pressed a few switches and kept her eyes on the monitor. "In the long run, pre-term births and low birth weights are among the most recognized effects." Before the parents-to-be could start asking dreadful questions, the doctor put the transducer away and met their concerned gazes. "Everything looks to be fine, however. Get some rest, Mrs. Wayne, and take it easy."

Bruce waited outside while his wife cleaned herself off of the gooey gel on her skin. When she exited the room, he stood at the window front of the corridor, hands in the pockets of his pants. Coming to stand next to him, Pepper looped her arm through his and leaned against his side. "Hey." He did not react other than blinking out into the dark skies of Gotham. Pepper took a deep breath, only to exhale with a soft sigh.

"How do you take it easy when the people you consider family and friends are out there, fighting and hurting each other." He narrowed his eyes, exposing fine lines around them. "I swore I'll always protect you, Gina." Bruce then moved to look at her. "The only thing I cannot protect you from is yourself." His eyes were a mixture of sorrow and frustration. They made her reach down to tug his hand free and take it into hers.

"If only you knew how much that applies vice versa, too."  
The Gothamite inhaled deeply, said nothing and took his other hand out of the pocket instead.  
"Let's go home."

+

When Tony and Steve reunited after Leipzig, it was on the battlefield; in an old bunker in Siberia, on opposite sides once again. As soon as the big, ugly secret about the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark was out in the open, it did not take long for things to escalate. The repulsor blast should not have come as a surprise, but it did. “The first one's a freebie.” Tony's voice was devoid of any emotion other than hate.

Steve gasped as he felt it stinging through his armor, having trouble to keep upright. “This is how you want to do it.” Iron Man shrugged. “How funny. You think I care after all that has happened.” At the harsh words, Steve pressed his lips together. “This is not how I wanted things to turn out. Never.” Tony barked out a crude laugh. “Oh, yeah. Tell me about the hardest part. Was it lying to me? To my face? Each night?”

They were circling each other, with Stark being mindful of Barnes lurking in the back like Rogers had ordered him to for time being. Once more, Steve tried to act as the voice of reason. “Tony...” Another blast which he was able to parry with the help of his shield. “Y'know Cap, it’s truly an amazing moment when you find someone who hates you as much you hate yourself.”  
  
The stricken look on Tony's face faded as fast as it had come, only to be replaced by malice. “So yeah, go ahead, look me in the eye and tell me I mean nothing to you. Break me once and for all. I need to feel some type of emotion, or I’ll end up as cold you. Wanna know what I think? I think you actually died when you went into the ice, Steven Grant Rogers, but somehow you just kept on breathing.”

Face twisted with anger and pain, Captain America started to wield his shield against his former lover.

 


	12. Chapter 12

A soft ringing sound broke through the silence of the bedroom. Bleary-eyed, Pepper pushed herself up on an elbow while she shifted slightly to the side, her other hand under her bump. “Brix?” The dark heap next to her was already sitting up. “Your phone.” He slipped out of the bed to hand her the device that had been resting upon a sideboard. She frowned at the number and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Tony? Tony, what is wrong? Where are... where are you?!”

For the next ten seconds, Bruce watched her in the dim light of the small lamp on her nightstand. When her features began to derail, he motioned for her to put the phone on speaker. Her eyes found his as he eased next to her on the mattress. Tony Stark's voice was interrupted by wheezing and coughing. “Not gonna... make it home for th-the birth... probably not 't all...” a pain-filled grunt. “Pep, I...”

The connection broke, leaving only static in their ears. Pepper's fingers curled into Bruce's t-shirt.  
“Save him. Brix, I beg you!”  
He unclenched her fist with care, pressed a kiss on her knuckles, and slid out of the bed.

+

The Batman arrived at the destination his GPS had located Stark's signal at to a heavy snow storm. Siberia's frigid temperatures hovered around –30 °F and tore at the massive turbines of The Bat as Bruce steered the aircraft through yet another blizzard. The location in question turned out to be a bunker covered underneath a white, solid blanket. He had to run a scan to find an entrance hidden below all the snow.

His eyes skimmed over the readouts of the heat-signal scanner. There was a faint, single spot close to the back of the compound, but it was unclear if it was human, let alone still alive. The Batman did a final sweep of the surroundings, found no other lifeforms or moving objects in close proximity, and descended. Inside the bunker, a harsh cold wind wheezed through the tunnels, whirling up his cape.

Bruce increased his stride when he saw the familiar traces of Stark's iron armor restin propped up against a concrete pillar in some sort of vast hall. Traces of a fight were strewn all around, as well as the scratched and dented shield of Captain America. The Gothamite eyed it before he focused on the man in his suit. His helmet was off and Bruce saw the mangled armor was already covered by a thin sheet of white.

“Stark. Tony Stark.”  
  
No answer. Bruce hunkered down in front of him and pressed two gloved fingers against the unresponsive man's neck. Finding no pulse point, he took out a small device from his belt and replaced it with his hand. He got a weak heartbeat under hypothermic skin. Stark's face was encrusted with ice and blood, caking together his eye lashes. Some of it cracked as soon as his lids began to flutter.

A small, strangled gurgle escaped his throat as he came face to face with the dark knight. He lifted an arm to ward off another attack, and Bruce eyed the broken and dark reactor in his chest. “Relax. I am not going to hurt you.” His dark rasp seemed to increase Stark's anxiety. Worried about the shock that was going to set in along with hypothermia, Bruce, therefore, reached up and removed his cowl.

“Tony. Relax.”

The other man frowned up at him, eyes unfocussed and lips holding a bluish tinge. He needed a few tries to get them to move. “B'rs?” The other billionaire gave a wordless nod. He could feel the cold seeping through his Kevlar-lined Nomex suit. “Can you move? You need to get you up and come with me.” A disoriented Iron Man needed several tries until he was on his feet, albeit wobbly and swaying in Batman's tight grip.

They inched their way back out to where The Bat stood out like a black, sore spot among a blinding nirvana of endless white. The harsh cold bit into Bruce's exposed cheeks, stinging in his eyes, but he squinted and pulled the armored man in his grip along until he had wrestled him into the back. He threw the shield into the back, fully intent on examining it sometime in the future, and initiated a fast liftoff.

“Who did this?”

“Ssss'eve n h's fr'nd.”

“Steve?”

Instead of an answer, there was an unintelligible grunt. Bruce threw a brief glance behind his seat.

“Tony, try to stay awake.”

No answer.

“Stark.”

“... mhm.”

+

When her water broke, it was 4 am, and Pepper alone in the master bedroom of Wayne Manor. Trying to keep calm, she slipped into a nearby bathrobe and waddled over into the bathroom to confirm her suspicions. Equipped with a high-absorbency pad, she then dressed in a set of sweatpants and jacket and reached for the inhouse phone. “Alfred? I think I need to go the hospital.”

In less than five minutes, the butler was by her side and escorted her down the many stairs of the large estate. The first set of contractions set in when Pepper sat in the passenger seat of the Bentley, but she kept on breathing through her teeth just like she had learned in her courses. “I have tried to contact Master Wayne, Madam, but cannot get a signal. I will keep on trying. Until then, you just try to stay calm and breathe.”

Pepper nodded, one hand clawed into the door handle while the other brushed along her belly.

“He... he's with Tony... I hope so at least...”

+

As soon as they had re-entered US American airspace, the speakers inside The Bat rustled. Bruce flipped a switch and was met with the voice of his butler on his mailbox. “The Madam is going into labor, Master Wayne. I am taking her to the Gotham Grand Hospital.” Underneath the cowl, Bruce Wayne felt his heart starting to pound faster. Looking at the unconscious man in the back of his aircraft, he set course for his hometown.

He made sure to remove the mangled Iron Man armor best way he could and kept its remains stashed within his vessel, stealth mode activated to avoid any unwanted attention. When the Batman appeared in front of the ER department, it was to awestruck staff members. He growled at them.

“This man needs immediate medical attention. Hurry!”

As soon as Tony Stark had been admitted to ER, Bruce retreated briefly to remove his own armor. His getup of a rumpled looking Bruce Wayne who just returned from a 'business trip' was only part faked as he rushed through the endless corridors until he stood in front of the delivery room. The scream of his wife that resounded through the closed door was the worst thing Bruce had to listen to.

He stormed inside, full of tension and senses alert. Pepper lay inside the propped up hospital bed, legs inside two stirrups, and a huge green cloth thrown over her lower body. A fetal monitor stood next to an IV pole and some blood pressure equipment. She raised her head to blink into his direction. “Brix?” It sounded like a sob. His tall, broad silhouette appeared behind the midwife and the doctor, dressed in blue scrubs.

“I'm here.”

One of his hands wrapped around hers, cold but strong, and absorbed the pressure she applied as yet another contraction wormed its way through her body and made her squeeze her eyes shut and grit her teeth. Bruce lowered himself onto a little stool by her bed and kissed her sweated temple. “You're doing great, Gina. Just a little longer. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Bruce waited until the brunt of the current contraction was over and Pepper was gulping for breath. “T-tony?” He schooled his features into a blank mask. “Is here as well. He will be fine. Relax and breathe.”

After another two hours, the contractions had become more frequent until they happened every two and a half minutes. Bruce took it all in stride; her screams and curses, the pressure she applied to his hand. At some point, Pepper was so far as to be crying from pain, and he cast helpless eyes over to the midwife. “Can't you do something?” The older woman tilted her head, looking at her patient and gauging her state.

“An epidural, Mr. Wayne. If your wife wants to we can insert a catheter.” They shared a look. Pepper nodded. Bruce took a tissue from the nightstand to dab her bottom lip which was oozing blood from biting down hard. She was told to lie curled on her side while an anesthesiologist cleaned her back and injected the area with a needle. After a test dose, the doctor determined the epidural was in the correct place.

It took a little while until Pepper was starting to feel slightly better. Her blood pressure was taken every five minutes, and Bruce kept on watching it like a hawk together with the monitor where the baby's heart rate was displayed. The doctor then appeared on the free side of her bed. “Okay, Mrs. Wayne, the cervix is nearly fully dilated. I know the urge to push is strong, but wait until I tell you to.”

She only gave a deep grunt in response, feeling nauseous, and closed her eyes. It did not take long for the pain to flare up inside of her; worse than before, despite the painkillers. “Brix, I can't... I can't. It hurts.” Her sobbing made him frown. “Gina, you can. You've almost made it.” He was given a cool cloth to apply to her sweated forehead as she tossed and turned. The midwife then took her head out from underneath the cover.

“The baby has moved down the birth canal. Take it slowly and let your uterus do the work until you feel the urge to push.”

At some point, the urge became so overwhelming that the midwife coached Pepper to pant during contractions to help counter it. It was only through a haze that she overheard the doctor telling Bruce the head was already visible. There was another contraction which she was coached to push through. And suddenly, all of the pain was gone. Pepper blinked through a watery curtain of sweat and tears.

She saw the doctor suction the tiny infant's mouth and nasal passages. Next to her, Bruce's brows furrowed. “Why is there no sound? Brix? Why? What is wrong?” Her voice was close to hysteria. Stone-faced, Bruce kept on focusing on her frantic countenance instead of looking over at the doctors. “Look at me - just breathe, okay?” When the first, faint gurgle turned into a full-blown scream, Pepper started to sob out in relief.  
  
She buried her sweated face into the crook of his neck and he pressed a kiss on the crown of her head.  
“I love you.”  
He kept on mumbling those three words over and over into her hair until she stopped crying.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Once Tony woke, he was disoriented, nauseous, and hurt all over. His shaky fingertips found a button to press, to which a nurse arrived no more than two minutes later. She administered something into the IV next to his bed, took his vitals and checked some bandaging on his ribcage. Over the roaring anxiety attack and the blood pulsating in his ears, Tony blinked up at her friendly face.

Her lips moved but he only managed to make out bits and pieces before he succumbed to whatever was floating through his veins. "Mister and Mrs. Wayne... Gotham Hospital... concussion... chest trauma..."

His medically induced dreams were weird but unmemorable, and when he woke again, Tony did not know where he was at first. A tall male silhouette stood at the window of his single bedroom, back towards him. It turned around at the first sounds and movement from the bedside, and Tony came face to face with an unshaven Bruce Wayne in rumpled scrubs. In his arms was a small bundle, wrapped in a light pink blanket.

The two men regarded each other and the dark bags under their eyes. Then Bruce's thin lips quirked into the smallest of smiles as he crossed the distance over to the bedside. “Meet our Rose.” Tony blinked to be able to look at the sleeping newborn. For a moment, he felt nothing but love. “She's beautiful. And she has red hair, like her mother.” He then cast the new-fledged father a questioning look. “How's Pepper?”

Bruce glimpsed down into the sleeping little face once more. “The past 24 hours were tough, but she is okay. She needs a lot of rest now.” Tony nodded and fumbled with the remote control of the bed until its upper part moved in a propped-up position. Nothing hurt for time being, and he decided to make use of it.

“May I...?” He eyed the little bundle again and spread his arms with care. One of them was attached to a nearby monitor. After a slight hesitation, Bruce leaned in to place his newborn daughter into Tony's waiting arms. The infant crinkled her mouth in something that resembled a small yawn but remained quiet. “Hi, Rose. You're the most beautiful Rose I've ever seen.”

“Rose Maria Wayne.”  
At Bruce's voice, Tony blinked up, surprised and a little incredulous. Wayne's bottom lip twitched, once.  
"It was Gina's wish."

Eyes shining suspiciously, Tony then handed the infant back to her father and eased back into the pillow.  
“No one's going to know. Promise. I owe you my life.”  
Bruce looked at his battered face.  
  
“We'll talk later. Rest now.”  
  
+

Pepper visited her best friend as soon as she was allowed to leave the bed. Dressed in a fresh nightgown and an oversized cardigan from her suitcase, her hair combed back and twisted into a bun, she tiptoed on sock-clad feet over to where Bruce had seen to transfer Tony to a close-by room on their wing. She ended up sitting at his bedside for half an hour while Bruce fought against a flaring bout of illogical jealousy.

He busied himself watching his daughter instead, marveling at the wonder of her tiny hands and feet, and the way her little chest rose and fell. Once Pepper returned, she immediately took her daughter into her arms and nestled her against her chest. “Looks like someone's hungry.” Feeling awkward, Bruce moved to stand by the window as she began to breastfeed Rose. “What did he say?” Pepper looked up at his back.

“What do you mean?”

Bruce glimpsed over his shoulder. “He knows.” She winced as a tiny hand grabbed a bit of sensitive flesh and shifted. “Yes. He said he... remembered.” Bruce turned to watch the commotion down in the street again. "I had no choice." Pepper resumed her tender ministrations to the tiny head she cradled against her. “You don't have to worry. Tony is as protective of his family as you are.” Her husband crossed his arms.

“It's not his integrity I'm worried about.”

“But?”

“The circles he's moving in.”

His wife frowned over to where she still was speaking to his broad back. It affected her daughter enough to smack her lips and twist her head to fall asleep against her mother's chest. Pepper slipped her gown back up and adjusted the bundle in her arms over a shoulder just as the midwife had told her to. “Are you talking about--?” Bruce faced her and leaned his back against the windowsill.

“Closer governmental supervision is not something we need in Gotham.” Her blue eyes widened just before they narrowed. “Tony would never...” He interrupted her with a shake of his head. “Not intentionally, no.” The smirk he gave was devoid of emotion. “It's something he and I need to discuss. In private.” His steely gaze then softened at the sight of his wife and daughter, and he pushed himself off the sill to sit next to them.

+

Bruce brought his little family back home two days later. Pepper and he made sure Stark's ongoing stay at the hospital would include proper treatment at the highest security level available. Up at the main entrance, Alfred watched his protege carry the car seat with his sleeping daughter inside up the stairs. “Welcome home, Sir.” The butler then leaned in to peek at the sleeping child. “And congratulations.”

Bruce waited for his wife to close up to him. “Gina is the one who deserves all the praise. What she did was far beyond anything I could've imagined.” Pepper wormed a hand around his taut bicep and followed their gazes at the smallest human being in their midst. “All the pain was more than worth it in the end.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent in peacefulness, only interrupted whenever Rose requested to be fed. It turned out Alfred still remembered how to properly change a diaper, and both Pepper and Bruce watched him with something between fascination and utter relief. The bat-signal lit up the evening skies of Gotham just as the new parents stood over the crib of their daughter, watching her sleep.

“Go.” Pepper's whisper was steadfast, even if her smile held an edge. “But be careful.” He kissed her with passion and reached down to run tender fingers across the infant's cheek. Rose whimpered but stayed asleep. Bruce returned home in the early morning hours, unhurt, but too wired to find sleep just then. After his shower, he tiptoed into the bedroom, dressed only in a pair of boxer briefs.

His wife was sound asleep, and he went for the crib. Faint moonlight fell into the chamber, and for a while, Bruce watched her little chest rise and sink with every breath. At some point, Rose then began to twitch and fidget, her little mouth about to erupt in a cry, so he reached down and picked her up with careful hands. She mewled in quiet tones until he took her over to his side of the bed and got in.

The first time he put the delicate little body of his daughter against his bare chest, primal instincts arose; instincts Bruce never knew he inhibited.

His wife noticed his presence when it started to get light outside and he still sat propped up against the headboard of their bed. Rose was sleeping peacefully against her father's chest while he was watching her. She shifted closer to him and brushed their daughter's soft red wisps. Upon feeling Pepper's fingertips on his bare arm, Bruce Wayne turned his head to look at her. “It's time for me to pass the mantle.”

Tearing up, she pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder.  
  
“Thank you.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

Even before Tony got released from Gotham Grand hospital, he and Rhodey had been in touch. Tony felt a stab of guilt at not being there for his best friend when he got transported to Columbia Medical, but Rhodes did not let him wallow in self-flagellation. “Listen, man, there's nothing you can do at the moment.” With a vow to put the prosthetic leg braces he had drawn up on his phone into production, Tony wished him well.

Having promised, to both Pepper and Bruce individually, he then got a rental car and headed for the Palisades.

His visit at the Manor turned into a one-week-stay, mostly because Pepper did not want him to wander alone in his parents' mansion in New York, and she most certainly did not want him to head back to the compound as long as James was not around either. Tony relented to being pampered by Alfred's excellent cooking, soaked up Pepper's sorely missed presence, and smothered his new goddaughter with cuddles.

Once his mental batteries had received a significant recharge, Tony eventually coaxed Bruce into taking him along into his sanctum underneath the Manor. He took in the other man's tech and equipment and offered unsolicited advice on what he would have done better until Bruce pushed a button to which the former shield of Captain America appeared from a hidden compartment, secured in a see-through casing.

"Did you have fun with it already? A little round of frisbee inside the cave?"

Bruce ignored his quips and pressed another button. Digital information popped up on a screen next to the casing.

“I have studied its structure and composition.”

“It's Vibranium.”

Bruce nodded, not offering more information. Tony regarded the scratched surface of the metal plate and tapped a finger against the plexiglass. “You know, we could melt this down and take the Vibranium to modify your suit. Makes things lot safer during your nightly crusades. I'm sure Pepper's gonna approve.” The Gothamite's lips thinned. “I don't need any help with that.” Stark rolled his eyes for him to see.

“Oh, come on, Bruce, work with me here. Lone-wolf mentality doesn't work anymore cause you've got a family now, and...” Wayne held up a hand with a jejune expression. “I don't need help because I've made a decision.” Tony gave an audible sigh. It prompted Bruce's mouth to twist into the barest hint of a smirk. “I do have a favor to ask, however.” Bruce shoved his palms into his pockets.

“I want you to help me deck out the GCPD with the best high-tech equipment you can come up with.”

Realization lit up in Tony's astute eyes faster than Bruce had estimated.

“So you...”

A dry smirk.

“Retire, yes.”

To corroborate his statement, Bruce pulled up an electronic dossier on what he had in mind for Commissioner Gordon's department. Tony got over his brief stupor quick enough to read and agree with most of his ideas. By the end of the day, they were having a concrete plan and a shared workload schedule for both Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises. Leading his guest back upstairs, Bruce put a hand on Tony's arm.

“Should you require any further... assistance... in handling Rogers, let me know.”

Tony shook his head with an inexorable glint in his eyes.

“I'll keep that in mind, but as of now – no, thanks.”

+

Tony arrived at the compound in New York after picking up Rhodey from Columbia Medical ten days later. During the period of the first test walks, a small parcel arrived, holding a phone and a letter from Steve. When Rhodey was passed out in his bed, dead-tired after training for hours on end, Tony was unable to find sleep. He toyed with the idea of going for a drink, only to dismiss it just as quickly.

Instead, he fumbled with the small flip phone until its screen lit up and it connected to the local telephone network. For a few moment, nothing happened, but then the hard plastic gave a single vibrating sound. Tony stared at the small messaging symbol and pressed OK.

 _Tony, I hope this message finds you well._  
A surge of renewed anger and disappointment made him sit up and start typing into the outdated device.  
_Yeah, but only cause you made one huge mistake. You let me live._

The phone clattered across the desk as he palmed his face, wishing for a drink once more. Tony peeked through his fingers at the beep it gave.

 _You cannot believe I wanted to kill you!_  
_Not? Sure felt that way. I might have never seen my goddaughter if it were for you._  
_It's a girl?_  
  
I wouldn't know why you should care, but yes.

 _Can I see a picture?_  
_On this shitty excuse of a phone? No. Also, I don't think Pepper would approve._  
_Okay._  
  
Tony told himself the reason for putting the SIM card Steve sent him into a smartphone was just his inability to cope with bad, outdated tech.

 _So, I asked. Here._  
_[file sent]_  
  
Steve's answer took less than a minute.  
  
_She's beautiful._  
_Yes, she is.  
__Thank you. Tell Pepper and Bruce congratulations._

_~_

Their texted conversations began to become more frequent, usually with Steve asking about little Rose.

During a particularly bad, lonely evening, Tony sat next to an almost empty bottle of bourbon and toyed with the device in his hand.

 _Hi. Me again._  
_Hey._  
_Thinking of you._

No answer. Tony felt a wave of heat flush up his throat and was quick to send another text, chiding himself for the foolishness that came with drunk texting.

 _Sorry. Shouldn't have said that._  
This time, Steve's answer came even before Tony had put the phone aside.  
_No need to be. I am too Thinking I mean._

 _Really?_  
_Yes. About us._  
_Could've had it all, eh?_  
_Didn't we?_  
  
Tony mulled over that answer while taking the final sip from his drink.  
_I wish it wasn't like this._  
_Me too._

He put the phone aside to pour himself another glass. Shaking out his left hand against a tingling feeling, Tony then reached for the phone again.

 _This is going to sound stupid. You know what, never mind._  
_No, tell me. Please._  
_I just realized you’re still my emergency contact._  
_It's not stupid, Tony._

A soft bling from his other, regular StarkPhone interrupted his musings, and Tony went to check.

Pepper had sent him a picture of Rose dressed in the latest Burberry onesie Tony had bought and shipped over to Gotham. As he filed the picture away in his private folder, he unwillingly stumbled across the last picture of him and Steve he had saved. It was a selfie with Tony up front, showing off his new engagement ring. Behind him, Steve had his chin on his shoulder and his arms around Tony's waist, smiling.  
  
_I miss you, Steve._ _God, I miss you._  
_Can we meet? Just the two of us?_

For a good five minutes, Tony stared at the small text bubble on the screen.

_Okay_

~  
  
The house by the lake was an old leftover estate Tony owned and never had the heart to tear down and rebuild. It had belonged to Edwin Jarvis until the butler had died of old age. Steve showed up on his old Harley Davidson at 3 pm sharp, alone and unarmed, just as promised. He was dressed in a casual combo of slacks and leather jacket, matching Tony's attire of jeans and sneakers.

They walked close to the shoreline, at a safe distance to each other. The only sound was the gravel underneath their shoes and the crows in the sky. At a wooden bench between a couple of old pinewood trees, Tony motioned to have a seat. He sat down with a small grunt, which prompted Steve to frown. “How are you?” He grimaced right after, almost as if he was cursing himself for the superfluous question.

“Been better.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair and looked at something in the distance. “I never wanted it to come that far." A dismissive snort, to which Steve narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to believe me but it's been killing me ever since.” No reply. Tony Stark then leaned his back against the bench and took off the pair of shades he had been wearing up to that point. Steve almost winced at the black and blue around his right eye.

“I’ve been hurt before, but not like this. Never like this. You’re the only one who’s been able to hurt me like this.”  
Even if he kept his gaze ahead at the lake, Tony saw Steve lean forward, putting his elbows upon his thighs.  
“I wish we were good for each other. That we could give each other what we both want.”

A cynical laugh escaped Tony's lips. “I know what I want... no, correction. I thought I knew what I wanted. Best to stop pretending we can make each other happy.” Dark-brown eyes narrowed. “And at the bottom line of it all, I can’t fall in love with you again. I don’t want the pain that comes with it.” Steve looked at the leaves at his feet. “I'd take back everything. That day, my words, everything. But this...I won’t take it back.”

He paused, wet his lips and eventually took a deep breath. “Despite everything that happened, I love you. I know I don't deserve your love after all I've done, but I know I've been the happiest with you by my side.” Wariness shone back at him as Tony eyed him from the side. “Even though you have Bucky? Your friend Bucky?” The mockery was laced with hurt. Steve shook his head and shifted until he faced him.

“I never thought of Bucky as more as a friend. You, on the other hand...” When he leaned in, Tony did not pull away. The kiss was shy and gentle, but both were breathing harsher than before when they separated. “Don’t taunt me with the idea of having a future with you.” It was a dejected whisper and prompted Steve to wrap his arms around Tony's frame, mindful of the sling. “We can still make this work. Somehow. Someday.”

Ten minutes later, Tony stood and watched him drive off as the autumn sun began to descend.

 

~epilogue~

“What is it with you men and pushing the stroller?”  
  
Pepper sounded amused as she sauntered next to Tony and the baby buggy along the parks of Wayne Manor. “You see, Pep, I like driving. Cars, strollers, my suit of course, but that's more like flying. I like driving. Period.” Tony bent down to beam at little Rose who was regarding them with curious big blue eyes. “Especially driving the world's most beautiful girl around. Yes, I am looking at you, sunshine.”

“Stop mollycoddling her, Tony, it's bad enough Brix does it all the time.”

“Pah, Mister tall, dark, and brooding doesn't hold a candle to me. Right, sweetie pie? Your uncle Tony is so much cooler and smarter than daddy, isn't he? Aww, yes he is!” He was back to cooing into the buggy. The soft pinch Pepper gave to his healed ribs made Tony twitch. “What? Your taste in men has clearly gone south since we split.”

“We never were dating, Tony.”

“And see how bad that was for you, in retrospect? Cause now you're stuck with an alpha-male, ex-superhero.”

“Pot, kettle, Mister Stark. Just saying.”

When his usual panache failed him, Tony opted for an insecure titter.

“Yeah, funny how that works, eh.”

Pepper's fingers ghosted over his good shoulder.

“You have been in touch.”

It was not a question. Tony rolled his eyes skywards.

“Damn platypus and his big mouth.”

At Pepper's inquiring gaze, he clicked his tongue and drummed against the handlebar grip of the stroller.

“Couple of times. At first, I thought he was insulting me with that cheap excuse of a phone, but now? I don't know how to fix things, but...”

Both looked over to where Wayne Manor loomed up in the distance.

“... what's left to do but hope.”

  
END

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really happy with the way this one turned out, but it feels best to end it here. 
> 
> Thank you to anyone who read, commented, and gave kudos!


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